Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Team Voltskull
by Voltskull
Summary: The epic tale of two pokemon as they make their way through the treacherous worlds of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
1. Chapter 1: Bolt

**Welcome to my first fan fiction story. It is based around Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and my actual adventure within it - (with some slight input from my own imagination).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Where am I?

Am I Dreaming This?

I feel a pleasant breeze.

…I hear a voice from somewhere…

I wonder who it is?

My own thoughts whirling round my head, I heard a small cry.

'Please, wake up! Come on, wake up!'

I peeled my eyes apart and squinted, as the light from the morning sun pierced my pupils.

After a second of adjustment, I was able to look around at my new surroundings.

I was in a lush green wood, with healthy, fruit laden trees reaching up and brushing the cloud filled sky. I lay in a clearing of some trees on a small bed of grass, my head resting against a gnarled tree stump. I looked down in shock at my stubby hands, or rather, paws. They were brown and rough, with a small claw on what looked to be my thumb. I had a small body, brown in colouration like my hands. On my back was a stout tail that was only a few inches long. I felt something warm on my head. No, my face! My head was stuck in some sort of bucket! I wriggled and squirmed, hoping to be released from this dark… wait, I could see. On closer inspection, the bucket turned out to be a skull, similar in size to that of a small animal. It had eye holes (of course), nose holes and a pair of short horn-like bumps on top. I could just about reach them. As I touched them I felt a powerful surge of emotion rush through me, and an image of a creature not too dissimilar from myself lay on the floor with its back to me. It too wore a skull and was whining uncontrollably, as if in pain. I reached for it, to see if it was ok. I was about to touch it when…

'Hey there!' came a voice. I jumped, completely focused on exploring my new body. It was the voice from before. I had completely forgotten.

I staggered up to come face to face with what seemed to be a small mouse. It had yellow fur with brown stripes going horizontally down its back. It had a peculiar tail, in the shape of a lightning bolt and limbs shorter than my own. On its face was a pair of round red cheeks that seemed to glow and pulsate. It had a small nose and a set of long ears, each tipped with black fur. Its black eyes seemed to shine with determination.

'Hey? Meowth got your tongue?' it asked. I tried to reply, but all I could muster was –

'Mifffolruf'

The creature burst into fits of laughter.

'What was that?' it stammered through fits of laughter.

'Hey!' I cried, snapping myself out of my confusion.

'I'm sorry!' it squealed, rolling onto its back and clutching its stomach, 'it's just the noise you made!'

'Well I'll have you know I have just woken up from a sleep I don't remember falling into. I have no recollection at all where I came from' I stated, folding my tiny arms across my chest. 'And anyway, I don't even know who or what you are. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea who or what I am.'

The creature wiped tears from its eyes and rolled back up to stand on its legs.

'To start with, you're a Cubone. As for your name, well I can't help you there.' The creature handed me a long white object. 'This is your bone, I believe you dropped it'

I took the bone from the outstretched paw. Another surge of emotion flew through me, this one not as strong. This time the feeling of rage and loss filled me. Hauling myself back to reality, I realised I still had no idea who this creature was.

''I still have no idea who you are!' I said, taking a shine to this new character

'Well I am a Pikachu' said the mouse, proudly

'name?' I asked

'Bolt.'


	2. Chapter 2: The One That Got Away

**Ok a big thank you shout out to ****Pure Gamer**** for reading and reviewing my first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**I hope you enjoy! **

'Now,' began Bolt, 'Do you have a name, or is it just Cubone?'

I sat quiet for a moment, thinking.

_*I must have a name*_ I thought to myself *everyone has a name*

'You seem pretty out of it' murmured Bolt quietly. 'You sure you even have one?'

'I do have one! It's…Axel?' I said uncertainly

'Oh, well nice to meet you Axel!' exclaimed Bolt 'you hungry?'

Upon hearing this, my stomach let out a rumble that caused me to quake on the spot.

'Well that question doesn't need an answer' chortled Bolt 'I'll be back in a second'

With that, Bolt ran up to the nearest tree and started the long ascent to the fruit bearing boughs at the highest point of the tree. He was nimble and quick, prancing from branch to branch like an Aipom. I looked up in awe at his agility.

He returned moments later, arms laden with the sweetmeats of nature. He then proceeded to lay them out on the tree stump. Looking at the fruits made me realise just how hungry I was.

'Dig in Axel!' he exclaimed. I did not need telling twice. I threw down my bone as I lunged towards the pile of food on the tree stump.

I was busy chewing on the flesh of an unpeeled banana, when I heard Bolt cry.

'Hey! Give that back! That's Axel's!'

I whipped my head round to see Bolt wrestling with a small rat like creature. Yellow in colour, it had long spiky fur and tiny hands and feet. A long worm like tail protruded from its back and it had a set of large front teeth, which were getting dangerously close to Bolt's face.

I looked to see what would make Bolt want to fight with this nerdy looking creature.

Then I saw it had my bone! Fury overcame me. In a surprising athletic leap, I vaulted Bolt and the thief from a still position and somersaulted mid-air. I came to land perfectly behind the two brawling rodents and tore the spine covered creature away. I picked it up by the scruff of its neck and held it up above my head. I stared up into its beady black eyes, a deadly rage building up throughout my body.

It still clutched the bone in its giant incisors. It went to scratch me. I hardly felt it through my rough skin, but something strange happened: My skull began to glow faintly red. Power coursed through my veins. With this new power came a new confidence.

I sent my skull-encased head hurtling towards my feisty opponent. It struck the rat on the forehead, making a satisfying hollow **CLUNK**! I dropped it with force.

It hit the ground with a sharp **THUD**! And got up, dazed. It still kept the bone tightly in its mouth.

'What is this thing?' I shouted to Bolt.

'A Raticate!' he replied 'But catch it quick because...'

It was gone.

'… it's ability is runaway...' Bolt trailed off

It still had my Bone!

I turned and caught a glimpse of yellow making a break into the forest.

'Come on!' I yelled to Bolt

'Hold on!' he said 'five minutes ago you didn't know your own name, now you take down an opponent in two moves!'

'Wait two?' I turned. 'I thought I just head-butted it?'

'You used rage!' he cried, a grin on his yellow face. 'Your power grew when it bit you! That's a high level attack for a Cubone!'

'You're right!' I exclaimed, sharing his joy

Focusing myself on the matter at hand, I began readying myself for the journey ahead, picking up a round, blue berry.

Bolt seemed to understand and picked up a large apple.

With two moves under my belt, and a knowledgeable companion like Bolt by my side, this thieving Raticate stood no chance.

'I'll teach it a lesson it will never forget!' I murmured grimly.

I nodded at Bolt, who returned the gesture.

And with that, we marched into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3: Justice

**Thanks again to ****Pure Gamer**** for the helpful advice. Its good to know I have support!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

_Wow I'm really hungry! _I thought to myself as we made our way deeper into the, what seemed like, endless forest.

'What is this place anyway?' I asked Bolt

'This is Tiny Woods' he replied, growing weary of my questions.

To be fair I had been asking a lot of questions but I was curious. Bolt was indeed as knowledgeable as I had anticipated, being able to answer everything I asked. Even silly things like; _what Pokémon is that? Is this berry poisonous because I just licked it? How much further? What colour am I thinking of?_

Suddenly, there was a deep rumble causing me to jump. My mind had wandered off. I shivered, scared.

'What was that?' I panicked. Without even a moment's hesitation, Bolt answered.

'Your stomach' he said sniggering 'Do you wanna stop and eat?'

We sat down under a shady tree, shielding our faces from the blinding sun, and tucked in to our half apples. There hadn't been much food lying around, only the odd pink berry (which I am told are 'Pecha Berries') and a few blue ones (like the one I brought with me called 'Oran Berries'). We hadn't seen many Pokémon either, only the odd yellow and brown seed looking creature with big green leaves (a Sunkern), and a squishy looking red worm (a Wurmple). They hadn't been any trouble but Bolt told me there would be more Pokémon the deeper into the forest we ventured.

'There's still no sign of that darn Raticate!' I roared, getting impatient.

As if by magic, a small group of about four Raticate scurried past, taking me by surprise and causing me to jump yet again!

'Quick!' Bolt jumped up, 'Follow them!'

We must have been tailing the Raticate for roughly twenty minutes, when we came to a large clearing. We crouched behind trees, concealing ourselves from the hordes of Raticate that had appeared before us. I let out a small gasp, shocked at the sheer numbers of the meeting. Bolt emitted a similar noise of disbelief.

There were Raticate ranging from the skinny to the overweight, the tiny to the utterly giant and ones with teeth as sharp as knives to teeth that were blunt like a used pencil. There were even some smaller, rat like creatures that had short, purple fur with a creamy white underbelly. Their teeth were noticeably smaller and they had a ring of read around their pupils. They were energetic and small, running circles round the Raticate, who were loafing around.

'Rattata' Bolt whispered, sensing my wonder 'the pre-evolved form of Raticate'

'Are they the only two Pokémon here?' I asked

'Ye…wait there's something…?' cried Bolt, nearly blowing our cover. I grabbed his mouth and pulled him down behind the tree.

I glanced back down the path we had come from, just in time to see a lone Raticate scurrying awkwardly towards us. Looking closer, I saw it looked dazed. It's fur was messy and it had a large lump on it's forehead. In it's mouth it held what looked like a stick…no a bone.

Glancing back at the clearing ahead, I knew I couldn't beat the Raticate if it reached its pack.

_It's now or never_ I thought to myself. I made a break for it, flying through the air and tackling the Raticate to the ground. It didn't put up a fight at all, showing me how much damage it had taken from our last encounter. There was a squeak from behind me, but I ignored it. I only had eyes for this thief. Staring down on its still face, I noticed it had fainted.

I snatched my bone from its slack jaw and let out a victory roar!

Suddenly, I felt something creep round my skull, tapping on the top of my head. I turned, adrenaline coursing through my veins…to come face to waist with a huge hulking human-shape mass of purple muscle. Every red vein on it's leg was defined, you could see the blood being pumped through them. I looked up, to see a chest bigger than my entire being. It bulged as the monster breathed. Its shoulders were broad and were the size of my skull. On the end of each were arms the size of tree trunks, both equipped with a large hand and a set of five fingers. This creature was so toned, that even it's fingers appeared to have abs. I couldn't see any higher than its shoulders. My power seemed to drain out of me.

It picked me up by the head, tossing me like a child tosses a boring toy. I hit the ground with a THUD! Gasping for air, I pulled myself back up to my feet. I had landed awkwardly, dropped my bone and had been winded. Now a few metres away from the purple hulk, I could get a good look at its head. It didn't seem to have a neck, as its shoulders were so large. It seemed to have human features, except for a hippo-like snout that seemed to be sneering, and contained only four small teeth. It had three yellow crests on the top of its head.

Panicking, I tried to find Bolt. I saw him pinned down under five or more Raticate, a look of exasperation on his squashed face.

'That's a Machoke…' he managed so splutter, the weight of the rats heavy on his small body 'Careful! Its called the superpower Pokémon…'

'Trespassing in our forest are you?' growled the Machoke, flexing it's muscles.

I gulped, 'thi…thi…this isn't your forest!'

'My biceps tell me otherwise'. The Machoke was inching closer to me, pounding a hand with a fist.

I didn't need to ask Bolt what this gesture meant.

Instincts kicked in. I leapt back, narrowly dodging a wild punch thrown by the behemoth. I made a scramble for my bone, lying a few inches away. I picked it up in a front roll, evading a left hook that would have knocked my head off.

'Ok little man. You're getting on my nerves! I'm gonna BULK UP!'

The Machoke let off a faint red glow. Its muscles bulged and its eyes grew cloudy with rage.

'I'm gonna crush you like a Caterpie!' its voice had grown deeper and more menacing.

'Come on then!' I cried, my adrenaline kicking in again.

I ran towards the Machoke that towered before me. Raising my bone equipped arm high above my head, I launched it with tremendous force, letting off my victory roar again. So much hype and energy put into a single throw…just for it to miss and go sailing widely past his arm, whistling as it flew through the air.

Machoke laughed manically. 'I've never seen such a pathetic Cubone!'

He doubled over in heavy laughter. Little did he know, that was a big mistake.

Something caught my eye. Something white, flying through the air. Or rather towards Machoke.

KLUNK! That was the sound created when my airborne bone connected with the back of his head.

He fumed, his face turning red as he turned and silenced the sniggering Raticate bystanders.

He charged at me, head down and storming. He grabbed my skull and lifted me off the ground for the second time. I felt his beefy hand begin to squeeze on my head, it getting tighter and tighter.

This looked like the end…

**Thanks for reading. I made this chapter extra long, as I may not be posting tomorrow (18****th****) as it is my Birthday. I shall see how much time I have!**

**Thanks again for checking out my story!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Bully Bully

**Welcome to my fourth chapter! These chapters will start getting longer now as I am taking the advice given to me to ensure people don't get bored!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

Adults tell you to wear a helmet when riding your bike, or at a building site. Remember to wear one when you're getting crushed between the hands of a giant.

The skull on my head was all that kept me from my doom. My eyes darted here and there looking for something to stop the angry tank that had me in a death hold. I could feel the pressure growing stronger.

About to give up hope and leave myself to my own demise, I relaxed my body, accepting that there was nothing I could do.

There was a flash. This was the end. A smell of burning and singed hair. The end. A scream. The en… what?

The pressure on my head ceased. I fell to the ground, rolling around on my back and nursing my pounding head.

As I staggered back to my feet, I searched the clearing, looking for Bolt.

The place where he was once piled on by Raticate was black, the grass burned.

There were also Raticate that were charred and singed, face down in the discoloured grass, as if caught up in an explosion.

Bolt was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't believe it.

_Not Bolt…He was so brave_

My head was spinning, still adjusting to the freedom of air.

'AXEL!' came a cry from behind me. I heard the rumbling of footsteps pounding the earth.

Whipping round, I caught a flash of spinning yellow and silver slam into the face of the incoming Machoke, knocking him clean out.

Landing next to me with arms crossed and a smirk on his face, was none other than Bolt!

'Can't beat an iron tail baby!' he whispered, putting on a cowboy accent.

I almost fell into his arms with joy.

'Oh Bolt! I thought I had lost you' I cried, ignoring the fleeing Raticate making themselves scarce around us.

'Not today' he said dramatically, adopting the tone of a cowboy again.

'As overjoyed as I am, I would rather you laid off the stupid voice' I said, tears in my eyes.

'So you fried all of them?' I asked, eyes wide in awe.

'in one move' said Bolt calmly.

'Wait which moves do you know?' I asked

'Shock wave, iron tail, agility and quick attack' he replied, a proud tone in his voice.

'Wow, I wanna learn shock wave!' I exclaimed, dealing out a round of punches to the air.

Bolt face-palmed.

'I don't think you can learn that' he said unsurely.

'Oh' I murmured, sadness clear in my voice.

Suddenly, there was a low moan from behind us. It was Machoke.

He struggled up to his feet, wincing and rubbing his throbbing face.

I raised my bone up, ready to give him brain damage.

He looked at us. There was no charge, roar, or bulk up.

Just plain staring.

He fell onto his knees, still towering above us however. Electricity flared from Bolt's cheeks.

'Thank you!' Machoke cried, his voice was deep but obviously kindhearted.

This was not the outburst we had anticipated.

'I was so scared! I had no control over my actions!' he turned to face me 'And I am so sorry for almost, you know… crushing your head'

'It's ok I guess' I said solemnly, 'it wasn't your fault'

'You're so kind!' he shouted 'and you!'

Turning to Bolt, 'that iron tail was just what I needed to snap me out of it!'

'It was nothing!' Bolt announced.

'I'm Mateo' The Machoke declared.

'I'm Bolt and this is Axel' came the reply

We each took turns shaking his finger.

'Is there's any way I can repay you?' Mateo asked

'Can you tell us how this happened?' I asked

'I'll fill you in best I can' Mateo nodded.

'I travel the realms of our world, taking down foes that pick on other Pokémon. You could call me a bully bully. The last dungeon I entered involved me annihilating a Hitmon evolutionary trio. They were family and had been picking on a duo of Skiploom. I remember reaching their den at the peak of Mt. Solace. I arrived to find Hitmontop, the youngest of the trio, lying face down on the rough ground. I could see he was still breathing, but he was badly beaten. Behind him, in the wall, was a gaping hole. The wind whistled through it as I stepped into the darkness. There was a fire in the corner, a lump of wood. Next to it lay Hitmonlee, the fire obviously the result of her blaze kick. She too was scratched and gashed but thankfully, was still breathing. Finally, slumped up against the back of the cave was Hitmonchan, the eldest of the siblings. I rushed to his side, he was still conscious. I remember him whispering into my ear:

"_Who are you?_"

I replied "_I am Mateo, the Hunter_"

"_But if you are…" _Hitmonchan had fainted.

"_Wait who are you talking about?" _I cried in aggravation

"_Noble." _Came a voice from behind me

Leaping away from Hitmonchan's body, I pivoted and faced the origin of the mysterious voice.

I caught a flash of red eyes and a large tongue poking out of the darkness. Suddenly, rage took control of my body and my mind went black. That's all I can remember.' Machoke finished with a puzzled look on his face.

'Wow!' that was all Bolt could come out with. 'I've never heard of a Pokémon like that before.'

My face fell. If Bolt didn't know, which almighty being did?

'Anyway I've told you all I know.' Mateo said.

'Thanks. Well we got what we came for.' Bolt gestured to my bone.

'I feel I still owe you, so if you ever get into any trouble I'll be there. Word gets to me faster than light.' The hefty Machoke winked. 'Anyway I think I'll stay here. These Raticate seem to have been good to me. I have food, shelter and a new family.'

'We'll see you around' I confirmed. 'Keep us updated if anything happens.'

'Will do. See you around guys!' Mateo waved as we turned.

'Well. I think it's time to head back to town' Bolt declared. 'I'm sure everyone will be so pleased to meet you!'

As we vacated the area, the Raticate (sensing peace) returned to the clearing and greeted the changed Machoke.

All was normal in the Tiny Wood. But hidden in the shadows, a tongue rasped quietly…


	5. Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home

**A wild chapter five has appeared! Doesn't seem to be many reviews or views at all! It would be much obliged if someone could give me some tips on advertising my story?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy!**

The sun beat down on us as we made our way back to town. It was a long walk, having first to negotiate our way back out of the Tiny Wood. We crossed huge expanses of grass, encountering a range of friendly and helpful Pokémon. There were small two headed birds with long necks and legs that were joined on to a round, feathery body called Doduo. A handful of elegant Bellossom danced gracefully around flowers, their petals shimmering and glowing.

As we neared a bridge over a fast flowing river, a large blue fish leapt out from under the bridge. I jumped, not liking the look of the water. The fish had large arms and legs, a fan like tail, two more fan like protrusions from its head and two orange crests on either side of its head.

'HALT!' it said firmly. Bolt obliged and beckoned me to stand next to him.

'STATE YOUR NAME!'

'Bolt'

The giant fish turned, to consult with two more large water creatures. One looked like an overgrown turtle standing on its stocky hind legs. Two silver cannons stuck out from missing tiles in its brown, plated shell. The other looked like an alligator, also on its hind legs. Its body was a light blue colour, while its lower jaw and stomach were both a creamy yellow. It had red crests on its head, back and tail. The teeth on its elongated jaw were like rows of sharp rocks jutting out of the sea.

The large fish returned its gaze to us.

'YOU MAY PASS' he boomed.

Nodding his head as he walked past the guards, Bolt stretched out his arms.

'Who are they?' I asked him, once we were out of the guards' earshot.

'They are the town's guards. Hydrack, a Swampert, is the leader and the first one we saw. His arms are as hard as rock and can break boulders into pieces.

The second was Chelys, a Blastoise. The jets of water that stream out of her cannons can punch through thick steel.

The final Guard was Maxilla, a Feraligatr. He only has to open his jaws to intimidate his opponents.

They are the most fearsome warriors in our town, having won every challenge in our training dojo.'

My mouth fell open.

'Wow! They sound tough' I said in awe.

'The best of the best' Bolt replied.

We hadn't been walking long when we arrived at a row of hedges. Each bush was thick and lush, housing a variety of small Pokémon. Some were round and pink, a tuft of hair on top of their baby-like face. Their eyes were big and red and in between them were black spirals of fur.

Tiny bird Pokémon were hopping around, carrying sticks in their pink beaks. They had brown and cream plumage and some were quite ruffled. There were also little green squishy looking Pokémon with pink antennae. Their bodies were split into segments, each containing a small lime circle.

'Almost home!' cried Bolt, the grin on his face stretching from cheek to cheek.

About ten metres of foliage later, a sudden burst of sound hit me. Laughing, shouting and joyful cries filled my ears.

Excitement took over my emotions and I broke into a run. I couldn't wait to meet Pokémon that didn't look like they wanted me dead. Bolt ran close behind me, possibly more eager than me.

As I crossed the boundary between ground and pavement, my eyes grew wide with amazement. In front of me lay a paved town square: complete with a fountain, shops, homes and all manner of decoration.

The water in the fountain was clear as crystal, sunlight refracting beautifully off each individual droplet. There was a long, elegant, serpent-like Pokémon made of stone, fixed to the top of the fountain. It's open mouth released a gentle flow of bubbles that burst with shimmering sparkles of energy in the air. A plaque at the foot of the fountain read: _In memory of Milotic, may this fountain be a reminder of her beauty._

Pokémon lined the streets. Every type, size and walk of life crowded the street. Most were gazing into the water, staring intently at their reflections, but some were looking at the newcomer (me!) they whispered and pointed.

The houses were far from dull, each possessing a certain style and colour scheme. The shops even resembled the heads of their owners. Looking around, I could see a green shop that resembled some sort of green reptile with crests on the side of its head. There was also a large brown shop, that looked similar in shape to my skull. I brushed my bone helmet softly, careful not to touch the horns so as not to create a distraction from these new sights. A rounded pink building that looked vaguely similar to one of the small Pokémon we had seen earlier, was also in the crowd of shops. So too was a feline shaped shop, with whiskers and a golden charm perched upon top.

The houses themselves varied in colour, size and shape: there was not a duplicate pair of houses anywhere in sight. The styles were so vast, some even had a small pond, tree or torch outside. Most had a post-box, bar a few that were only a few feet away from a large, bird shaped building. This looked to be a post office, as there were birds with yellow beaks that hung down in a flap under their chins. They each carried a bag, full of mail or empty. Everywhere you looked, there were ribbons of every colour you can think of and flowers that seemed to sway in the heat of the sun.

'This way' Bolt led me past the fountain, spewing out bubbles and spray. He led me past the crowds and he led me past the shops. We eventually stopped at a small wooden gate. It lead back further than any other house, giving a sense of importance. Bolt unhitched the gate and stepped through, pausing as if reminiscing about good times in the past.

He almost danced down the winding path the led to the front door. I hadn't seen him in a better mood so far on our travels.

_This place must mean a lot to him_ I thought to myself, _It looks well taken care of as well!'_

'This,' Bolt started, as we got to the entrance, 'Is my humble abode.'

With this, he grasped the door handle and swung it open...

**Sorry about not posting yesterday, I had a writer's block. **

**also I am sadly going on holiday on Sunday, so I don't think I will be able to post from ****then until Friday. Hopefully I will post again maybe today I will see how much time I ****have**

**Thanks for checking out my story!**


	6. Chapter 6: Gearing up

**Chapter 6! That's all I can really think of to say :L don't worry the chapter will be better than this intro.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Voila!**

Bolt's house was quite small on the inside. But small didn't mean ugly.

There were pictures and paintings of fresh fields and rivers: the scenery looked like it could jump off the wall!

In one corner, there lay a bed of straw, grass and leaves. For a pile of dead plants, it looked extremely comfy.

A little pool of water sat opposite, a bowl and flannel nearby for washing. The water was almost transparent: you could clearly see the bottom of the rocky basin that contained it. It was filled up by a small hole in the side of the wall, in which a pipe lead outside.

The windows were circular, made of clear glass. They let in light that seemed to hit every part of the room at once.

Various ornate pots were dotted about the room, filled with all manner of things like sponges and soaps, berries and fruits, and even some coins and jewels.

There was also a round table that held a picture of a young Pikachu and a slightly smaller Pokémon, similar in colouring. It had pink cheeks and black diamond shaped ears. There was also a petite tail that stuck out from behind it, a smaller lightning bolt shape. They were standing in front of a tree, each holding up a paw full of small, round, pink berries. The berries looked ripe and juicy.

Bolt saw my interest in the picture and wandered over to it. He picked it up and gazed into its wooden framed inks. Looking closer, I could see that the Pikachu in the picture was Bolt.

A tear crept down Bolts face.

'What's wrong Bolt?' I asked, concerned at my companion's sudden burst of emotion.

'That's…my little sister, Vena' Bolt whispered. 'She…she went missing from this very house a few weeks ago.'

'Oh Bolt, I'm so sorry' I stammered, putting a hand on Bolt's shoulder.

'I've been searching for her for days on end. But to no avail.' He whimpered.

'That's why you were in the Tiny Forest when we met!' It made sense to me now.

'Exactly' said Bolt. 'She loves that place and always used to play there when she was young and bored. She didn't leave a note or anything this time. In the end I gave up waiting and started looking for her.'

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. Bolt had seemed so happy before, and I felt at fault for bringing it up.

'That's why I helped you.' continued Bolt. 'I found you a few hours before you woke up. You were sprawled out on the ground under a tree. I pulled you out into the open and laid your head against the stump. Then I crafted you that makeshift bed.'

Bolt was nearing tears.

'I know what it's like to be alone.' He continued. 'And when you lost your bone, I too knew what it is like to lose something.'

Tears rained down from Bolt's eyes onto my outstretched arm. I pulled him into a hug.

'I know you don't know who you are or where you're from and I know I've just met you, but I need your help, Axel.'

'Bolt…' The room was overflowing with emotion as I too began to shed tears of despair for my new friend. 'We'll do it together!'

The next day (after a night filled with tales from Bolt's childhood memories with Vena), we passed into the town square. We had plans to look for Vena, so we were going to stock up on supplies from the local shop Bolt had told me about.

I had glimpsed the shop yesterday. It was a large, green building in the shape of a lizard's head. Crown-like crests stuck out from the sides and were tipped with yellow stripes. It looked like it had been freshly painted, as the light reflected off the surface extremely brightly. On the front of the building hung a banner, saying 'KECLEON WARES'

Two lizards stood behind a hole in the wall of the building. Only one, however, was the same colour as the building. The other was purple with green stripes.

They both seemed to be hyper, running around like headless chickens. They were enthusiastic and loud, yelling of their 'ridiculous prices!' and drawing quite the crowd.

They greeted Bolt with a grin and a wave. We made our way to the front of the crowd, the Pokémon around us seeming to part for Bolt.

'Bolt! My boy! How are you?' cried the green Kecleon

'Not too bad thank you, Kudos. And yourselves?' said Bolt

'Aaah! We can't complain!' Cried the Kecleon again

'Who's your new friend?' asked the purple Kecleon

'This is Axel. I found him in the forest yesterday. Axel this is Camo and Kudos. They own the shop here.'

'Very nice to meet you two' I said, extending my bone in greeting. My tool came back licked and kissed, obviously the Kecleon's way of acknowledgment.

'The pleasure is ours! Any friend of Bolt's is a friend of ours!' chorused the reptiles.

'We were wondering if you could supply us with some apples or berries' Bolt began, after our strange array of greetings were over with.

'Of course!' the purple lizard, Camo, said.

While Camo collected handfuls of food, Kudos turned to us with a smile and discretely handed me some small red sweets.

'Gummies' he winked 'On the house. Shhh!'

'Gee thanks!' I winked back, and put them under my skull for safe keeping.

After departing from the shop, we strolled back across the square. We weren't due to leave until tomorrow, so we had time to get a good night's rest.

Suddenly there came a muffled cry. From underneath our feet came a rumbling. If we had taken a step further, we would have been tripped over by what next emerged from the ground. Three brown blobs burst out of the tiled path by the fountain. They were of different sizes, but all had a shiny pink oval nose. They looked to be joined underground.

'Bolt!' They shouted in unison.

'Crew, what's up?' Bolt replied

'It's Kidd, my son!' Crew exclaimed 'He's missing'

I looked at Bolt. His eyes gleamed. Not reflecting the light, but burning with a furious passion. I knew what he was thinking.

'Where did you last see him?' Bolt had a serious tone

'We were tunnelling under Mt. Steel, the end of a wonderful father son outing. Suddenly there was a massive metallic scraping sound. We spun around to find that our trailing son had disappeared, a gaping hole from the surface throwing light into our beloved darkness. Rushing to the surface, we were instantly blinded by a flash of light. The flash was similar to the reflection from a mirror.'

My yellow companion was fuming. Steam literally bellowed from his ears.

'We came to find you straight away' the trio of mole-like creatures chorused. Their voices seemed to rise and fall together, as if they all shared thought.

'Mt. Steel is not far is it?' asked Bolt, his trembling hands bunched into fists.

'No, just over there to the east' Crew gestured with a turn of it's heads. 'We are so grateful to you for everything you have done for this town!'

'I do what is right for the benefit of myself and others.' He replied nobly. 'We leave now'

'But it is late afternoon! You can't leave now!' Crew declared.

'They're right!' I said speaking for the first time.

Bolt spun round with great speed and pressed his furry face onto my bone enclosed head. His eyes were no longer their normal black shade. A red mist seemed to cloud his pupils.

'They need our help, Axel.' His voice sounded like it was crafted from steel. I backed off.

Turning back to the trio of moles, he said with passion:

'We depart immediately.'

**Ok I'm back from holiday and have been frantically trying to create this chapter. I have the writer's block the size of an obese whale, so these chapters might take a little longer to make. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!**


	7. Chapter 7: Solid Steel

**Chapter 7 will have a lot of action in. This chapter is when Axel and Bolt first work together properly to create a rescue team. This should be an action packed chapter…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy and review please!**

Bolt was silent for almost the entire trip. The only time he spoke was when I asked him about the creature that had approached us in the square.

'That was Crew, a Dugtrio. He has been around for a long while, creating all of the tunnels that lead to the various dungeons and areas of our world. He is an expert digger, and can burrow at enormously high speeds.'

For the rest of the journey, I fantasized at what it might be like to live underground, to feel the warmth of the dirt around me. Being a ground type, I thought I would fare well underground.

Mt. Steel is colossal. Just looking at it made me feel small and helpless. I could just make it out through the fog that had descended on us. It was getting late too. We could only see due to the small torch Bolt had made. It was just a stick that had been jolted with electricity, setting it on fire.

The torch proved useful in finding the entrance. It was well hidden: a jagged fissure in the rock face, hidden behind a leafy bush. The inside of the mountain was almost pitch black. The only light came from clumps of small mushrooms stuck to the walls. They emitted a faint blue glow that dimly illuminated the narrow tunnels and large rooms inside the mountain.

The torch also seemed to repel the large amount of wandering Pokémon. They would jump out at you, attempting to steal your food. These Pokémon were quickly dispatched with a weak headbutt.

We were not bothered to much on our early ascent, but as we trekked deeper and deeper into the monotonous mountain, the Pokémon seemed to increase in numbers and complexity. The earlier Pokémon were far less aggressive and more simple, like the Zigzagoon who were adorable little scavengers, with brown and cream ruffled fur. The darted quickly around in zigzag patterns, unable, it seemed, to move in a straight line. These seemed to be replaced by Pinsir, gargantuan Pokémon that resembled stag beetles. We saw a few clusters of these Pokémon, but steered clear (quite sensibly I might add) of them. They had horrible habits of wrestling each other with the oversized pair of pincers protruding from their head. They looked particuarily menacing too, their large brown form rugged with armour, and their odd sideways mouths made them particularly unattractive.

Another Pokémon that tried to outwit us was the species Geodude. They cleverly disguised themselves as comfy looking rocks, before throwing our expectant bottoms to the ground with their strong arms. They were so good at pretending to be rocks that we fell for their traps more than once. They were 'politely convinced' by Bolt however, to leave us alone. He was still not in the mood for talking, only satisfying my thirst for knowledge about my surroundings when he felt it necessary.

Our first real obstacle was a huge lump of metal. It sat in our path, making a low pitched humming noise. Our first reaction was to try and move it. Proving this to be a difficult task due to its immense weight, we tried working out what it was. It was a dark blue in colour and very well polished. The angles on it's body were sharp and it seemed to have white spikes coming out of the top and sides. Bolt shrugged.

'Well, I suggest we attack.' He said calmly.

'Way ahead of ya!' I cried, leaping towards the obstruction. I twisted in the air, my head pointing down. I sent myself rocketing earthbound with building speed towards the alloy abnormality using a headbutt attack. The deafening noise it made on impact, coupled with my aching head told me that I had not thought it through properly. I rolled off the barrier, staggering backwards to slump against the wall. My companion tutted disapprovingly.

'It's made of metal, so I'm going to avoid concussion and just shock it.' The Pikachu said sarcastically, sounding full of himself. He released a surge of electricity, causing the object to glow. The electricity visibly jumped around and over the metal mountain, before forming a blue outline, breaking free of the metal layer and dancing off down the tunnel.

The object in front of us began to hum even louder and shuddered slightly. It rose into the air slowly, giving the effect of waking up.

It appeared to have arms, or limbs of some sort. They had sharp white claws, similar to the spikes on its top. The forearms were thick and long, joined to spindly upper arms that looked too weak to hold such a burden. It had a white spike in between its two black eyes that were ringed with red. The creature swivelled on an imaginary axis, hovering in the air by some kind of powerful magnetism.

Without warning it generated a resonance that was similar to two pieces of metal, being scraped together. Bolts eyes and ears scrunched up in shock and he dropped the torch as he fell to his knees, but I fared better. My helmet absorbed most of the sound. I was able to keep my eyes open. Only to witness the onslaught of attacks that followed.

It's claws grew long and silvery, glinting in the light of the torch on the ground. The monster flew towards me with surprising speed and slashed manically with its metallic claws. I had to jump and roll quickly to dodge. I heard the claws whistle past my head and felt the rush of wind that followed. Next came a full bodied, charging attack that I again narrowly dodged.

'Bolt!' I yelled at my companion. He was cowering over his knees, grasping his ears tightly and whimpering slightly, obviously in pain. 'I can't do this alone!'

Bolt showed no signs of response. Steadying myself, I readied both my defences and Rage attack. I held up my bone like a sword, ready to block or deflect any attack that came my way. A barrage of rocks, covered in blue outlines, was hurled in my direction. I let a few of the smaller ones hit me, powering up my rage, while also headbutting any larger ones that tried to make contact. I could feel the cloud of red swirl around my eyes. My attack boost was activated. With no time to waste, I rushed over to the attacker in front of me and, using my bone as an extension of my arm, began to swing wildly, hoping to land a hit. Once I had heard the all too familiar CLANG, I backed off, leaving the creature to pull itself up from the floor.

'Come on Bolt! I can't do this alone!' I cried. He seemed more composed now, standing up straight and breathing deeply. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. Meanwhile, the creature was slowly dragging itself back into the air. Suddenly, I knew what to do.

'Come on Bolt! That's it's weakness!' I shouted excitedly. 'It's slow hovering up off the floor and can't use any moves while doing so!'

'Well then' Bolt was by my side, the effects of the cry depleted. 'We don't have all day'

He sent powerful surge of electricity in the direction of the still rising machine-like creature.

Just as the crackling shock wave was about to collide with the monster, it finally reached it's full height. A green wall of light materialised in front of it, absorbing the attack.

'Darn that Metang!' Bolt raged, stamping his foot. 'How does it know light screen?'

'Metang?' I asked, still wary of the cackling creature that hovered before us.

'Yes' replied Bolt. 'They're rare around here, but powerful. I've never seen one this strong though.'

I gulped and clutched my bone tighter. The Metang was drawing nearer. I puffed out my chest so as not to look as petrified as I truly was.

As soon as it was a metre or so away, Bolt used agility, and sped off past the Metang. He ran straight under it, confusing the creature, and causing it to spin upside down in the air.

'Whatever you did last time' Bolt panted 'Do it again!'

I felt the remnants of Rage, swirling through my body. _Good._ I thought. _This Bone Club will have some kick._

I waited until the confused Metang was upside down in the air, before leaping over it and bringing my club down hard on it's underbelly. This seemed to do more damage than when I had full rage power and the Metang fell to the floor with a THUD and a shriek. It landed on it's head, it's spikes pinning it to the ground. Waving it's legs around didn't seem to do much, only slam into the wall and cause small tremors.

'We need to stop it now!' I cried

'Axel, I have an idea!' Bolt said.

He began to pound the wall with Iron Tail, causing the wall and ceiling to crack slightly. 'Help!' he roared at me'

Without thinking, I began to headbutt the wall, turning the cracks into fissures. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling, covering the fallen Metang.

It emitted a final cry, then fell silent. The rock slide that followed was not silent however.

There was a large rumble, and more boulders began falling. We ran as fast as we could down the tunnel. As we made it to the large room at the end of the tunnel, a giant boulder fell in the way of the entrance. No material could have withstood that. Not even a steel type.

Gasping for breath, we collapsed against the nearest wall. We were in complete darkness. The torch had been left behind and there were no sticks about to make another. The room was illuminated however.

A gaping hole in the ceiling spat light into the enclosed space. Hanging from this hole, was a worn rope. It was frayed and old, but looked sturdy enough to climb.

'We've found the way up!' I punched the air with excitement and went to climb the rope.

'Axel!' called my exhausted partner 'Can we rest a bit first?'

'Fine…' I shuffled back reluctantly.

Bolt passed me an apple and I tucked in, realising only then how hungry I was.

A cry from the hole in the ceiling interrupted our snack. It sounded child-like. And in trouble!

Bolt's determination flooded back. He stood up swiftly and sprinted over to the rope.

I sighed. _What happened to tired Bolt?_

'Don't worry, we're coming!' Bolt yelled up the hole.

Having no choice, I ran after him and began to climb, holding my bone with my teeth.

We were so focused on answering the call for help.

We didn't hear the metallic scraping sounds coming from behind the giant boulder.

We didn't hear it collapse and crumble.

And we certainly didn't hear a deep laugh and the rasp of a tongue…


	8. Chapter 8: Mothering Mayhem

**Chapter 8… Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy and review please!**

At the end of the rope was a brick tunnel, emerging into a large room, bigger than any we had found on our way up. Sweat rolled down our bodies: I felt like I didn't need to exercise ever again. Collapsing out of exhaustion seemed the only way to describe our reaction to solid ground. I slumped against a worn rock, my arms sinking into gashes the size and depth of my bone. I was careful not to scratch myself on the nest of thorns that sat next to it, but I didn't put up a fight for long. The pricks I felt on my arms kept my eyes open, giving me a chance to view my surroundings.

The room floor was completely flat. It was definitely not natural. Slash marks decorated the wall, deep gashes that revealed the metal ores beneath the surface. The room had a dangerous aura to it, skulls and bones of various sizes lining the floor. Wind whistled through a gaping hole in the wall. Outside, clouds were at our level. _How far did we climb?_ I wondered.

My thoughts were interrupted by a muffled shout. _The baby Diglett, Kidd! _I began to jog, slapping Bolt round the face as I shuffled by. He was on the verge of falling asleep but my palm revived him. Realising where he was, he leapt up with renewed energy and caught up with me.

In a slightly darker corner of the room, was an enclosure. It had steel bars that shone in the light of a single candle, lying the centre of the cell. Around the small candle were slumped objects, their forms flickering in the orange glow. There were five in total, each unmoving, but breathing heavily. Tapping the bars, I cleared my throat. Four heads turned, one of which seemed to just be a head. _Kidd!_

'Pssst!' Bolt waved at the Diglett 'We've come to rescue you!'

'Bolt!' Kidd rolled on his side, he had been placed in a flower pot to stop his escape. 'Where's Daddy?' His voice sounded extremely young and innocent, luckily not traumatised by this kidnapping. Coupled with his huge black eyes and a pink button nose, he was quite the cutie.

'He sent us!' Bolt whispered, trying unsuccessfully to hide his excitement.

The tiny mole turned to the other three Pokémon in the prison. 'I told you they'd come!'

'And I believed you every time!' giggled the first. Her body was in the shape of a small pink star, two tips of brown on the tops of her ears. She had a small curly tail and stumpy, pointed legs that met in a point. The curl of hair on her head made the final point to the star. On her face was a look of pure joy, her black eyes sparkling.

'Oh boy, oh boy!' Squealed the second, a male. Everything about this Pokémon was round - except for the black zigzag tail which joined its baby blue body, complete with delicate feet, to its rubbery tail. It had perched itself on top of said tail, balancing naturally. Round cheeks, much like Bolt's, dominated his face. But where the Pikachu's were red, these cheeks were white. A small mouth had managed to squeeze itself between the cheeks and took no prompting to display a gaping grin. Eyes, as blue and pure as the sea, nestled comfortably above the cheeks and a set of large ears wiggled on the top of his head like satellite dishes.

The final Pokémon, a round, balloon-like Pokémon said not a word, but instead sung happily from a large mouth and pranced around like a stubby ballerina. She had a tuft of hair on her head, pink like her body, and a swirl of black fur on her forehead. The Pokémon blinked rapidly, displaying flashes of pink eyes.

They were an adorable bunch: only children. I could literally feel the power in their smiles lift the mood in the room. A large gust of wind blew through the hole in the wall opposite, extinguishing the candle. The air became icy and the smiles on the children's faces froze with it.

'It's returned' Kidd whimpered.

'What has?' Bolt said urgently.

'Ska…' The Diglett was cut off by a thunderous rumbling. The sound of blades slicing through air echoed round the space: SWISH SWISH! Real thunder followed the sound, as if summoned by it.

'Skarmory…' Bolt finished the young Diglett's sentence.

A great bird soared through the opening in the wall: its bladed body barbed and sharp.

It had a shiny metal coat, flashing in the forks of lightning that were spawned from the pitch black clouds outside. Its body was angular, even more so than the Metang. It looked to be made exclusively from razor blades. Each of its four long feathers, one silver, the others a deep crimson, glinted with the essence of steel. The creature's long head was streamline, slicing through the air as it landed. Even it's eyes cut your confidence in two. The body of this beast was slightly rounded, leading to two serrated legs, each ended by a foot that possessed talons like knives. Finally was its dagger-like tail. It was a hulk of a tail, easily putting a Pikachu's ample appendage to utter shame. Bigger than the bird's head, it stretched a good three foot and seemed to be the bird's proudest and most polished accessory.

It screeched, causing dust to unsettle on the floor.

'Darlings, I'm home!' It shrieked, rather femininely. The children quaked in fear: they were obviously her 'darlings'. By this time me and my partner had leapt to safety behind a nearby rock.

The Skarmory strutted over to the cage, eyeing each Pokémon with greed and violence.

'Oh!' she growled, reaching her thin head through the bars and plucking the fallen fifth figure from the ground. She tossed it over the high boundaries of the compound, swiftly drawing her head back through the bars. The bird caught the lifeless carcass in her beak and tossed it maliciously into a far corner.

'There we go my darlings! No more stinky corpses littering your nice playroom! Isn't that right diddums!' the Skarmory put on a shrill, babyish voice, trying to imitate her prisoners. A small PLOP resonated from the far corner, where the discarded body had collided with the wall. I winced and had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying out. The pink balloon-like Pokémon, who had formally been dancing around the enclosure, began to bawl uncontrollably into the dirty floor. Tutting, the feathered foster parent turned her attention to her tail. She paraded over to the worn rock, next to the nest of thorns, and proceeded to scrape her tail along it. Sparks were generated in masses as she continually struck the stone.

'I'll have you nice and sharp.' She told her tail, reassuringly.

Bolt grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards him, wanting to talk. I gazed at the Pikachu's furrowed brow, knowing what he was about to say.

'We have to do something' the mouse murmured.

'But what?' I questioned 'Any part of her could cut us in two'

'She's distracted now though; I reckon we should just-'

'Grab the kids and slide down the rope? Your crazy!'

'Just' Bolt continued, frustrated that I had interrupted him 'Eliminate that flying flick-knife!'

'Can you not see that she is cutting through that solid rock as if it was butter?'

This was true. The Skarmory had reduced the once rugged rock to nothing more than rubble. She paced the ground, seeking a suitable substitute. Getting increasingly closer to the boulder which we squatted behind, I could hear her mumbling to herself.

'Well, if we are going to do something, now would be the perfect opportunity' I whispered, conscious of the approaching armoury.

'It's go time!' Jumping over our rock and using it as a launch pad, Bolt sprung through the air, swinging his now metallic tail towards the bird's neck. Her reflexes were as sharp as the dagger the protruded from her pelvis. She brought her left wing up to meet the iron tail, causing a flurry of sparks. She screeched: the shrill short cry of a mother.

'Intruders! In my abode!' She bellowed 'Children, hide!'

Flapping her hollow wings, she lifted herself from the ground and dive-bombed my accomplice with a frenzy of scratching attacks. Bolt leapt to dodge, but got his tail caught by a talon and yelped in pain. The Skarmory cawed triumphantly, only to be struck with a crackling Shock Wave from her opponent. Finally, she spun round and began slashing with her tail. Agility looked to be the only way to dodge.

I felt I had been waiting on the side-lines long enough.

Creeping round our rock, making sure I was unseen by the Skarmory, I snuck over to the crumbled sharpening stone. Picking up a shard and relying heavily on my ground instincts, I sent it hurtling towards the airborne bird. It struck the side of her head, catching her attention. Realising for the second time this day that I had not thought it through, I leapt to safety in the nest of brambles.

'AAAAAAGH!' I yelped – I had yet again failed to think how jumping into a nest of needles would provide me any comfort. To make matters worse, the large bird glided clumsily to my location, outraged that I had touched her nest. Stumbling out of the nest, I hustled to where Bolt lay and pulled him to his feet. He was panting and dizzy because of the flurry of attacks that had caused him to run in circles.

'We can't just run the whole time!' he wheezed 'We need to turn the tables.'

'She's remaking her nest at the moment, so we have some time' I reported

'You distract her!' the Pikachu called, running off.

I picked up another small stone and threw it at the busy bird. I heard a CLANK as it hit her and the slicing of air as she took off.

'I have had it with you young man!' She bellowed at me 'I'm going to have to discipline you!'

The Skarmory spiralled down on me, her beak extended in a drill peck.

At the last moment, bullets of electricity rained down on the poised Pokémon, sending her plummeting to the floor. Her body crackled and spasmed with electricity: she had been paralyzed.

Suddenly, her wings began to glow and she sent all the electricity shooting through her body to her wings, making them glow a wicked gold. Bolt had joined me by this time. I looked at him. He knew neither of us could survive a thunderous steel wing with wings that sharp. A familiar hum filled the air. A hovering heap of metal launched a full bodied charge at the waiting Skarmory. They collided with a ringing vibration that sent sound waves rippling across the plain. Another screech from Skarmory came as she hit the floor.

Metang picked her up in it's iron grip and rocked her gently. The Skarmory shook her head and squinted against the new light, as if waking up.

'Where am I?' she asked

'y0u Ar 1n MT. SteEl' The Metang spoke for the first time. It's voice whirred and clicked like a machine.

'And who are these Pokémon?'

'I doN't Kn0w, bUT thEy w0k3 Me UP FroM mY HyPN0s1s'

The Metang gently put the metal bird down and they both turned to us.

'Thankyou' they said in chorus

'Hold on did you say hypnosis?' Bolt interrogated

'y3S. I wA5 hov3Ring ar0Und, m1Nd1Ng My oWN bu51n3SS, Wh3N a r0Und f1GurE Mat3Rial1sED in Fr0nT oF mE. All I saW Was a fl4sh 0f r3d eY3s aND a l0NG toNgu3.'

'Then you blacked out…' Bolt said to himself.

The Metang nodded.

It was now the Skarmory's turn to speak:

'I flew home one night. When I arrived, the air felt cold, as if something was here. I investigated, but couldn't see anything. I must have walked around this room about three times, but I could not see anything. Not even with my keen eye ability. I gave up, thinking it was just the beginning of some cold weather. As I turned to walk back to my nest, I was struck in the chest with some sort of orb. It was black and purple. It could only have been a shadow ball. I was getting scared by then. I knew something was there. I whipped round, glancing at my nest. I still couldn't see anything, so I started walking again. Then i tripped on something. It was long, wet and pink. A tongue! As I fell to the floor, it wrapped round me, constricting my movements. I looked up, into some piercing red eyes. Then I blacked out…' she trailed off.

'Red eyes and a tongue!' Bolt said, turning to me 'Just like what Mateo told us! There must be one culprit, if all the victims say the same'. I nodded.

'What are your names?' I asked the two steel types.

'I aM Metallo, aND tH1s I5 Chayna. wE aRe vERy tH4nKfUl t0 y0u anD s0 s0RRy if w3 caus3D yOu TROubl3.'

'We are just glad to help.' Bolt replied, then turned to Chayna, 'Would you mind getting those kids out of the cage please?'

'OH MY GOSH!' She screamed, zooming over to the cage, 'Who did this to you?'

The children still seemed to be wary of her as she gently plucked them out.

'You did…' Kidd murmured

The Skarmory looked like she had had her heart ripped out.

'I'm dreadfully sorry! I wasn't myself.'

Chayna made it up to the little ones by flying them (me and Bolt included) home. They were once more all smiles and giggles. Kidd was returned back to his dad, minus the flower pot, and seeing as the other children had nowhere to go, we let them stay with us. As our bodies hit the straw bedding, we instantly fell asleep. Everything was peaceful.

A small yellow mouse picked itself up off the floor of Mt. Steel. She was nursing a bruised head from where she had hit the wall. A small tear rolled down her pink cheek. She thought she had heard her brother earlier, but he was nowhere to be found. _Come on Vena_ She told herself _You must get home_. Wincing, she dragged herself to her tiny feet. Electricity escaped from her cheeks as she struggled to stand. From behind her, a tongue rasped. Her acute sense of hearing picked it up and she jumped. Turning, she came face to face with a purple figure. She looked up into his deep red eyes, but did not black out.

'I know what you seek' The figure growled. It held out a hand. And she took it.

**Ok for clarity Metallo is meant to sound like either Steven Hawkins or a unisex Glados from Portal. It's speech is written with a mix of upper case, lower case and numbers to simulate technology.**

**If you can't understand it or need a translation –**

'**You are in Mt. Steel'**

'**I don't know, but they woke me up from my hypnosis'**

'**Yes. I was hovering around, minding my own business, when a round figure materialised in front of me. All I saw was a flash of red eyes and a long tongue'**

'**I am Metallo, and this is Chayna. We are very thankful to you and sorry if we caused you trouble'**

**Thanks for checking the chapter out!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Proposition

**Chapter 9! I just wanna celebrate finally having two reviewers! Special thanks to Pure Gamer and wishbone23! Two may not seem like much but it means a lot to me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy and review ****s'il vous plaît!  
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* * *

><p><strong><strong>'Sit down.' Said Bolt forcefully, as I returned to our house, laden with shopping.

It had been about a week since our return from Mt. Steel and we had spent the time settling back in to society and getting used to each other's nightly quirks. For example, Bolt had sleepwalked to the window last night and had proceeded to yell some inaudible things to a tree across the field. The very night before, my companion had reported that I repeatedly struck my skull helmet with my bone, creating an 'unearthly noise that kept me awake'.

As you could imagine, our young guests (who I later discovered to be Astrid the Cleffa, Rollo the Azurill and Melum the Igglybuff) had grown tired of our midnight activities and had sadly departed. They had not gone far however, as we had built them a luxurious tree house in the outskirts of town.

Bolt had been very elusive this morning, hiding in the fields that surrounded our abode. He had taken with him a bag of apples and a jug of water, so I knew he did not want to be disturbed. I had not expected for him to be home now though.

'Am I in trouble?' I asked innocently, taking a seat at the table.

'No. Far from it. Ever since we were at Mt. Steel rescuing Kidd from Chayna, I've been thinking.'

I had no idea what he could have been talking about. I nodded and smiled to show I was open to conversation.

'Do you think we handled that well?' he asked

'Yes. I think that we make an amazing team.'

'So do I.' Bolt was pacing slowly round the room, leaving my eyes to follow him. 'There's something I want to try again.'

'Again?' I asked solemnly

'Yes. I want to form a rescue team…with you.'

I had not heard of rescue teams before. 'Rescue team?'

Bolt sighed. 'They are groups of Pokémon that explore the realms of our world, seeking out new areas, discovering treasures and helping Pokémon in need. Our trip to Mt. Steel showed me how well we work as a team. I saw how we fit together like a puzzle: your strength and power combined with my knowledge and strategic thinking makes us a formidable duo. All I ask is that you think about this. It might seem sudden, but I don't need an answer straight away.'

Bolt gasped for breath. He looked proud for getting it off his chest.

There was so much in this world I did not know. Like a child at school, my mind was open to learn and discover new things. Something about this proposition appealed to me. Traveling to the edges of this land might even give me clues as to where I came from.

'I'll do it!' I exclaimed, grasping Bolt's shoulder in a determined grip. My companion's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. 'I want to rescue fair maidens, duel with villains and unearth ancient treasure!'

Within a few minutes we were both leaping round the room: me swiftly slicing the air with my bone 'sword' and Bolt deftly dodging my every advance. Our mental ages had been reduced to almost nothing, and stayed that way for quite some time.

We were so exhausted at bedtime, that we fell straight into a deep slumber as soon as our heads touched the pillow, as we had done after returning from Mt. Steel. The only thing plaguing my mind was 'again'…

* * *

><p>I had a nightmare last night. I was lying alone in a dark room. A small candle lay flickering on its side, a pool of wax gathering beneath it. As my eyes strained to see in the darkness, various other objects became visible. Although I felt like I was fully awake, I had no control over my movements. My breathing was heavy and I felt the same surge of emotion as when I touched my horns before: pain, sorrow and loss. As I staggered to my feet, a scratching could be heard from behind a huge, set of oak doors that dominated one wall. It was ornate, festooned with detailed carvings of regal looking creatures; large cats with sparkling rubies embedded in their foreheads crouched, ready to pounce; dragon-like fish with spiral tails and pointed crests, shot strings of sapphires from pointed snouts; and gleeful pigs sprung from frame to frame on coiled tails, each balancing a beautiful pink pearl atop their heads. The valuable wood and precious stones seemed to come alive before me.<br>A large brass knocker started to rotate in the centre of one of the doors. It creaked slowly open and hurled blinding light into the shadowy depths of the once dim room in which I stood…

* * *

><p>Then I woke up. I was in sweats, shivering uncontrollably. Deep emotions still pulsed through me. I realised that I was clutching tightly onto the horn like bumps that sprouted from my helmet. I let go, and the feelings evaporated. It was still dark out, and I could hear the Pikachu in the cradle next to me breathe softly. <em>Good.<em> I thought._ At least I haven't woken him. _I stretched and struggled to my feet. My back was stiff from the way I had been lying, but nonetheless I made my way slowly over to the shallow pool in the corner of the room. The feel of cold water splashed over my face not only woke me up, it rejuvenated me. I washed the sweat off and hobbled back to bed. I fell straight asleep, careful this time to leave my horns alone. '_Again_' drifted through my mind…

As dawn broke, and the Pidgey began chirping in the trees, I arose. My roommate was already up, washing apples for breakfast.

'Ah! You're up!' he greeted me with a smile and handed me an apple.

I took it gratefully, sinking my teeth into its soft, ripe flesh and letting its refreshing juices trickle down my throat. I savoured the taste and rolled the remnants of the bite around my mouth. The apples were red. Ruby red…

My nightmare came back to me. _Mentioning it would only_ _bring down the mood_, a voice in my head told me. I kept quiet.

Bolt had decided that, instead of wasting time, we should apply for our rescue licences immediately. To do this, we would have to send a letter to the High Rescue Council. This was the first time I had set foot inside the Pelipper post office. It was a large building shaped like a bird with a disproportional bill. Styled after the Pelipper themselves, it served as a direct mailing facility, delivering to all across the region. Pelipper were stout birds, seemingly weighed down by their oversized gullet. They had thin wings, tipped with blue and small feet on their undersides. At desks, they were perched on a stool, rummaging through sacks clumsily. But in the air, they were graceful and elegant, despite their mass of beak. Each airborne bird carried a satchel draped over one wing, brimming with letters and parcels alike. A constant flow of birds entered and left the confined space of the building via the mouth of the structure. It was a gaping hole, wide enough to fit several Metang in at once.

'May I help you young fellows?' one of the Pelipper at the desks had addressed us. It sounded feminine.

'Yes, we are here to apply for a rescue licence' Bolt recited. He pulled a letter out from under his arm and handed it to the Pelipper. A name tag on it's belly said 'Philippa'

'When did you write that?' I asked

'Before you woke up' he said excitedly.

We witnessed our letter get enveloped, stamped and addressed. A rather chubby looking pink Pokémon with an extensive tongue emerged from behind a desk and licked the envelope. That was official business, as the Pokémon had a badge stating '_HRC Official Sealer'_.

The envelope was handed to a special Pelipper, its wings and head tipped with green instead of the standard blue. The Pelipper whisked the envelope away, leaving a trail of sparkles behind it.

I watched it disappear into the distance until it was no more than a speck on the horizon. There was a long and important journey ahead of it.

It was official. We were going to be a rescue team.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this chapters really short and boring but it was very hard to write. Now this is out of the way, it will start to get interesting I promise! Thanks for checking it out!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Boot Camp

**Thanks to my reviewers for their helpful advice! Chapter 10 will be long and action packed! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It did not take long for the HRC to reply. 'A few days is nothing compared to the average time' Bolt had explained. The letter had been sealed with the Official HRC stamp, and the address on the front of the envelope looked to be hand written. We opened it with great gluttony, eager to set eyes on what hid beneath the papery shell. A neatly folded letter was all that resided inside. I pulled it out viciously, my fingers scrambling to peel it open. It read, in beautiful handwriting:<p>

_Dear Bolt and Axel,  
><em>_This letter is our way of saying 'Welcome Aboard!'  
><em>_You have been accepted into the widest growing movement of teamwork in this entire land. The Pokémon Rescue Team is becoming increasingly accepted everywhere, new branches being set up every day.  
><em>_Bolt has also been recognis- _

Bolt jammed his thumb over the rest of the sentence. I stopped reading and glanced up at Bolt. He met my gaze with an awkward smile and abruptly returned his stare to the letter. He wasn't telling me something. The letter continued past Bolt's thumb:

_To complete your registration, you will be required to design a team name; a name you will be known by for the rest of your career, so it will be permanent.  
><em>_Your name must be submitted to your local post office, ready for immediate dispatch. The staff at the post office will inform you of what to do next.  
><em>_Finally, from all of us here at the High Rescue Council, we wish you luck and prosperity throughout your rescue career._

'Well, we need a team name' Bolt said, quickly stuffing the paper back into the envelope so I couldn't re-read.

'Yes…' I murmured cautiously.

'How about we throw names around until we find one that sticks?'

I nodded.

'I'll go first' explained Bolt, 'Terravolt'

'Secretkeeper.'

'DynamicDuo!'

'Hiddenstory.'

'X!'

'Hush.'

'Oh come on!' my companion yelled, 'You've got to try!'

'Fine. Applestack… ooh I'm hungry…' I rubbed my belly

After we had snacked on a few apples (my request) we returned to our brainstorm.

'We need something captivating. Something that really says 'Unique'.

I was in a better mood after eating. I decided to try and think, for my sake at least.

'How about Voltskull?' I asked half-heartedly.

Bolt's eyes grew wide and his pupils dilated. He snapped his fingers and pointed at me, his mouth wide open.

'That's it!' he cried, 'Voltskull!'

Grabbing my arm, he fled out of the door, down the path, across the pavement and towards the Pelipper Post Office, yelling praise at me.

We burst through the door, my companions arms flailing wildly. Philippa was perched on her stool, shuffling through some papers with her enormous bill. The Pikachu ran to her desk and slammed his paws down onto the wooden surface. The clerk jumped, unaware of our presence beforehand.

'A name, we have one!' He panted, 'Voltskull! Voltskull!'

Overwhelmed by this sudden ferocity, the Pelipper clumsily scrambled for a pen with her beak.

'FASTER!' Bolt roared

She squealed and scribbled on a clipboard. I grabbed the raging rodent's wrist, trying to calm him. But there was no success in this attempt.

'Axel.' He said sternly, shaking me off. I knew not to try again.

Philippa seemed to have collected herself now, forging a smile and handing the clipboard to another Pelipper behind the desk. With an uncertain glance at the vibrating Pokémon next to me, she began to inform us what to do next.

'Thank you for registering with us. Your next destination will be the Makuhita Dojo, at the far south of town. When you get there, present the dojo master with this.'

She handed me a wooden circle. It had 'HRC' engraved in the centre, a glimmering powder sprinkled over it.

'Moon dust' Philippa winked at me, 'Collected by Cleffas from Joyous Tower'

Bolt had stopped shaking and was staring intently at the object, a look of recognition in his eye.

'I suggest you leave tomorrow' Philippa suggested, 'It's getting late now'

She was right. Darkness had fallen so quickly, we had not noticed how late it was. We bid her farewell and I apologised for Bolt's behaviour.

By the time we reached home, we were half asleep. I still clutched the disk close to my chest, but dropped it on the table first chance I got. I found solace in my straw bed, my eyelids drooping and struggling to stay open. I fell soundly asleep.

* * *

><p>My nightmare returned. I was in the same room with the same rush of feelings flowing through me, only this time more detailed. It felt the same, up to the point that I began to look around. I could see slightly further into the expanse of the room, new cracks in the walls appearing and I could just make out the beams on the ceiling. My attention was focused back to the door. Now I could see each knot, split and dent in the wood. The creatures on the door seemed re-defined. The cats now had whiskers jutting from the side of their heads. Long tails, curled at the end, were visible and their eyes were as sharp as Chayna's tail. The dragon-like fish also became more vivid, each scale on its streamline body was expertly carved. The small pigs had tiny noses and gleeful eyes which accentuated their playful appearance. The rubies, sapphires and pearls were all more deep in colour, so much so, that my eyes got lost in their beauty. Under each carved creature was embellished a name. Under the cat was 'Persian, a name suited to its sly and mischievous nature'.<p>

The fish was labelled 'Seadra, a name fit for a tide twisting titan'. Finally, under the pig was 'Spoink, a name that jumps for joy'. The large brass knocker was scratched and gnarled, looking like it was used frequently. Like last time, it began to turn. The room was yet again bathed in a white light… But I remained conscious in this imaginary world. A small, spindly hand reached round the door followed by another, holding a lantern. What emerged was far beyond bizarre: a hunched figure with gangly arms and legs. It had an oval head with two spiky ears and rows upon rows of jagged teeth. It flashed me a broad, wicked grin displaying countless canines and molars. What struck me though, was the creature's eyes. They weren't really eyes at all, but solid crystals. I wondered if it could see at all. A ruby similar to the Persian carving's was planted firmly in it's chest.

It grunted at me, and I saw myself shuffle slowly towards it. My face was reflected in it's crystal eyes, but it was distorted. I was pushed by the fidgeting gremlin and continued to shuffle down the small hallway that led from the room. The hallway just seemed to be a long underground tunnel. Lanterns, like the one my guide held, dotted the walls. Though there were few, the passage was well lit and illuminated every grain of dirt.

Finally, we reached another set of oak doors, exact replicas of the last. Another inaudible noise from my attendant told me to halt. It dragged itself in front of me and pushed this set of doors open with an unsteady hand. The path I had just tread sent light flying into this new room. it was as dark as the one I had woke up in. the creature gave me a wicked grin, again showcasing it's many teeth and threw me with surprising strength, into the new room. it was then that I blacked out.

* * *

><p>I woke at daybreak this time, for once before my roommate. I was sweating like crazy: my helmet felt ready to slide off. I found myself holding my stumps again, so I let them go. <em>Stupid, stupid! Why can't you leave them alone?<em> I staggered to my feet, and stretched my aching muscles. Wandering over to the table, I found the wooden circle. Yesterday flooded back to me, and I rushed to wake Bolt. I forgot all about my nightmare.

'Aaah! A rescue pad!' The dojo master turned the wood over in his thick, gloved hands. He brought the finely polished object up to his slit eyes and inspected it closely. The circle cheeks next to his mouth broke form as he displayed a broad smile. He turned it over and brushed the back of it with his left mitt. The Dojo Master was a Makuhita, and so looked like a sandbag. He had padded gloves on both of his arms and a rounded middle which made him look rather fat. He was a pale yellow and seemed like a jolly, defenceless sack of laughs, topped off with a crude knot on the top of his head. But looks can be deceptive. He was in fact one of the highest ranked member of the Worldwide Fighting Association, able to floor just about any Pokémon that stood in his way.

'Looks like you're the last Rookies to show up. Ok just head into the dojo, and meet your fellow trainees. And good to see you again Bolt…' He boomed once he was sure our disk was legitimate.

As we entered the Dojo, a rain of voices hailed down onto us. All went quiet, however, when their eyes fell on Bolt. There must have been roughly 20 individuals there. They either nodded, grinned shyly, or stared in awe. Bolt turned his back to them and pretended not to have seen.

'So this looks fun' he said, sarcastically rolling his eyes. One of the staring rookies approached us. She was a small pink blob with tiny arms and legs. A large grin was stapled across her face and a set of jagged leaves protruded from her head. She jumped around gracefully, floating down gently and slowly each time.

'Ummm… Mr Bolt?' She sounded young, 'Can I…err… have your autograph?'

With a shifty glance at me, my well known friend bent down and scribbled on a piece of paper she held out.

'Kids eh?' was all he could say.

Sick of having something hidden from me, I turned to the collection of other recruits. The nearest to me was a small green female on four legs. Around her neck was a necklace of vine ends, their dark green colour contrasting beautifully with her light green body. Her large eyes were a glorious shade of hazel. Atop her head was a delicate leaf so thin, it looked like the wind could whisk it away. She turned and faced me with a smile. I was captivated by her beauty. As she approached, I felt myself blush.

'Are you ok, sugar?' she asked, angels hugging her words 'You look a little flushed'

'I…I…I…' was all I could muster.

She smiled again, obviously aware of my sudden shyness.

'I'm Kanari' Her name summed her up beautifully: Unique

As I attempted to exchange greetings, Bolt came to my rescue.

'This is Axel' Bolt smiled warmly, seeing me blush through my helmet.

'Well it is lovely to meet you Axel, and of course I know you Bolt' She winked at me and Bolt in turn, then walked off to join her partner, a small, red fox with a smooth curl of hair on her forehead and six gorgeous tails. It was Bolt's turn to go weak at the knees. The two girls caught us gawking, and giggled.

'Wow…' we whispered together.

The first Rescue challenge was a treasure hunt. Each pair was given a map, leading to points around the dojo. At the end of each point was a general knowledge question. The first team back to the Dojo Master would gain a lead in the next challenge. A challenge based on speed and intelligence didn't seem very fair on the team of Slowpoke and Slakoth: a pair whose abilities were intensely restricted as part of nature.

We got off to a good start- Bolt's advanced knowledge of the world (coupled with the fact he had apparently done it before) and well trained speed made us a force to be reckoned with. All I had to do was keep up, as he rushed from station to station.

'Well done Team Voltskull!' the Dojo Master roared, 'First place goes to them!'

We got cheers and claps as our names were called out. The other teams new it was just for fun. The purpose of this training was to simulate missions, testing our tolerance and fitness.

'In second is Team Mindthrust!' a Machop, the pre-evolved form of Machoke flexed its rippling muscles and a , a barrier creating psychic, saluted proudly.

'Finally, in third, is Team Sweethearts!' Kanari and her partner, a Vulpix named Kit, giggled and winked at the whooping and whistling crowd.

'Well done to all! Now if you'll all follow me into the arena at the back of the Dojo, we will begin your next challenge. Team Voltskull, you may draw a name out of the bag first'

Sparks flew as Bolt collided with his opponent, a small orange crab like creature with two mushrooms on it's back. The Paras leapt forward with a dagger-like Fury Cutter which met Bolt's Iron Tail, while I was duelling with a Farfetch'd in stick to bone combat. I sent my opponent flying with a powerful upward thrust, giving me time to glance round to see how Kanari was doing. She was leaping around the arena, flicking the leaf atop her head, and sending razor sharp foliage shooting at her opponent. The Pidgey she was battling stoof no chance and collapsed. Kit too, was dominating in her conflict: ribbon after ribbon of hot embers were circling her opponent, a Rattata, causing it to turn in every direction. My opponent weakly stood up and waddled back to the battle. I held my bone in front of me, with two hands. The attack came before the Farfetch'd reached me. A spiral of air picked me up, originating from the duck's flapping wings. I started to spin in the gust, slowly becoming dizzy. _Wait_ I thought _I could use this!_

I let myself spin, faster and faster, picking up speed and rotation. I tried feeling for a break in the wind and the right opportunity. Time seemed to slow as a weaker swirl of wind passed in front of me. I burst through the gale and head-butted my opponent with spinning force from the gust. It fell to the ground, out cold. I looked over to Bolt to see a dagger of electricity snake it's way towards the Paras. It screeched as electricity ran through it. It too was knocked out. Kanari and Kit met us on our battlefield, their opponents lying dazed in a heap.

'Not bad I guess' Kanari winked at me. I blushed under my helmet but nodded.

'Well done all!' came the proud voice of the Dojo Master, 'Now it is time for one final test! If you would all follow me.' He led us into a final room, the largest so far. There were a number of different doors, each with a different picture on.

'This test is about initiative. I will pair you up randomly based on type! For example: if you are a water type, you will be paired with a water type! Clear?' A chorus from the enthusiastic rookies signalled they understood. 'You will then be placed in a dungeon where you are at a disadvantage! For example: a pair of flying types might be put in the electric dungeon. Clear?' There was another cheer from the crowd.

'Good! I will now pair you!'

I was placed with a Sandslash who looked pleased to be in such a pairing. He was quite a bit taller than me and his claws were pointed. Lines of quills jutted out of his back, each were long and sharp. He was a yellowy-brown colour and his eyes were a keen black. He greeted me warmly, full of respect for my skills. We touched fists and began getting to know each other. His name was Clay, an ex-miner. He was in a team called Team Splinter and his partner was a Girafarig named Gloria. He pointed her out, partnered with a Zigzagoon, who was running around frantically making her laugh hysterically.

He knew who my partner was. The popular Pikachu who was lecturing a young Electrike about electricity use. I looked for Kanari. She was standing beside the young pink Pokémon that had approached Bolt earlier. She didn't look very happy, as the child was jumping around trying to touch her leaf. Kit laughed as she sat on the shoulders of a giant. His whole body seemed to be ablaze with a red flame and he glowed a bright orange as he laughed. He had a sort of beak and his forehead stuck out. He was a Magmar.

* * *

><p>We were put in a water dungeon, so at a disadvantage, but nonetheless we kept trekking forward. The objective was to retrieve a blue stone from the centre of the maze and return it to the Dojo Master. The floor was wet and squishy, all manner of plants growing on the walls. It was stiflingly hot too: sweat rolled down my chin with every step. Thankfully we met few other Pokémon, but every so often when one came along, it would immediately blast us with a water pulse. I don't mind wetting my face, but being entirely drenched is another story. Clay worked out that he could slice the ring in half, then throw me forward towards the startled enemy as I brought my bone down on its head. This was the tactic we used to overcome any bubbly opponent. It was only when we reached the centre of the dungeon that we had to rethink.<p>

We could easily identify the stone. It was a sapphire, sitting comfortably on a stone pedestal. Three Pokémon guarded it; two were round and blue, each possessing a delicate tail. Small feet were attached near said tail and a pink mouth regularly blew foam. It's most striking feature was a black spiral which twisted clockwise. The other Pokémon was…a Seadra! Just like the carvings in my nightmare! The details were perfect: a curled tail, long snout, spiny crests, smooth scales and beady eyes. I went fuzzy for a moment, but pulled myself together when Clay grabbed my arm to stop me from falling over.

'You alright?' he asked, concerned.

'Yeah…fine' I lied, faking a smile.

'Well it's now or never then' he said firmly, striding forward. I skipped a little to catch up, then fell back into his familiar pace. As with all the water Pokémon we had encountered, they immediately sent a ripple of water at us in unison. Since there were three enemies this time, throwing me in would be suicide. I had to assist Clay with splitting the powerful wave this time. He went with instincts and countered with a toxic poison sting. It hit one of the blue Pokémon and unbalanced it on it's unstable legs. It winced and a part of its stomach faded to purple. It had been poisoned. The other jumped at me and began swiping at me with its tail. The familiar red mist clouded my sight and I felt my power grow with each slap I took. When the Pokémon had grown tired of its pathetic attack, it tried running back to it's comrades, but not before it took a full throttle headbutt from me. It flew through the air and struck the pillar, which wobbled dangerously and threatened to toss the sapphire. _We'll have to be careful._

I turned in time to see Clay hit the soggy ground. A close range water pulse from the Seadra had almost wiped him out. I ran to his aid, batting away the dragon-fish with my club. He shakily clambered to his feet. The poisoned Pokémon had fainted and the other was trying to wake it up, but to no avail. The Seadra looked furious. It sent water pulse after water pulse in our direction, but since it was all alone, we could resort back to our old tactic. As I was flung, I searched myself for any remnants of rage. Only a small amount of power had remained and I focused all of it into one swing of my club. Unfortunately, the Seadra glided out of my way and I sent the last of the twin Pokémon sprawling. I growled in annoyance and watched the Seadra unleash a new move on Clay. A beam in the shape of a dragons head snaked its way out of the Seadra's snout. The beam engulfed my partner and he fell to the floor. There was no way he could have survived that. It was my turn next. I couldn't suffer the same fate, or we would fail the test. The Seadra had the range advantage whilst I had to physically attack. My only chance was my bone. I sent it hurtling at the dragon-fish and interrupted its attack. Somehow, my bone looped back to me as if it was meant to. I took it in my stride and caught it, running forward at the same time to make the most of this opportunity. I had reached the Seadra before it had recovered, and knocked it clean out in one swipe. I felt proud. I hadn't needed Bolt's help.

Carrying a Pokémon that is twice your height, while also holding tightly onto a precious stone is no easy task. I burst through the exit, gasping for breath and dropped the Sandslash down gently. The Dojo Master and Bolt were there to greet me. I handed over the jewel and collapsed onto Bolt's arm.  
>'Well done!' he cried, 'You got the sapphire AND carried your fallen teammate! I'm so proud of you!'<br>'Indeed' Seconded the Dojo Master, 'You have demonstrated great determination and will power'  
>Gloria was crouched by Clay when I finally carried my own weight and Kanari and Kit were standing beside me, ready to catch me if I fell. I blushed at the sight of the grass type, but pretended not to have.<p>

'Congratulations to all! You have all passed with flying colours!'  
>There was some whooping and cheering as our tests had been announced completed.<br>'Now for the friendly competition standings!' Everyone was instantly quiet, eager to hear how their teams stood.  
>'In fifth place is Team Splinter, that's Gloria and Clay!'<br>A round of applause echoed around the room as the two fifth place competitors took bows.  
>'Fourth is Team Scorpion, that's Garro and Skyla!'<br>Kit's partner from before, the Magmar, took a bow, along with a tiny blue bird that had wings made of cotton.  
>'Team Sweethearts is third! Well done Kanari and Kit!'<br>The two girls next to us curtseyed and blew kisses into the crowd.  
>'In second is Team Slackers, well done to Winks and Poker! You certainly were the dark horse in this competition!'<br>Applause erupted as the Slowpoke and Slakoth duo took their praise. That certainly was unexpected.  
>'Finally, in first place is… Team Voltskull! Let's give a big hand to Bolt and Axel!' I smiled at Bolt, who returned the gesture. We got the biggest applause of all.<p>

A dark, sorrowful voice ran out through the hall. 'How touching…'

The room fell silent and cold. All eyes turned to the doorway. A stout figure stood there, adorned in a long black cape, the sun's rays followed the figure into the room. Pointed ears stuck up in the air, and a pair of deep red eyes pierced the atmosphere in the room, as if searching. A thick tongue lolled out of its mouth and tasted the air.

_Red, controlling eyes! Long tongue! This is the villain behind all of the abnormal behaviour! _The look on Bolt's face told me he had worked it out too. It fixed it's empty eyes on me, winked, then sunk into the floor.

'See you soon…' It whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for not posting this week, I've had major tests which I had to revise for. I am also planning to release a new story in early 2012 so i have been brainstorming. I hope to get back into posting at least once a week. Thanks for checking out my story and please review! <strong>


	11. Chapter 11: The Dark Figure

**So the story is really heating up at the moment and the caped figure has been revealed. Thanks to all my reviewers for their continued support and helpful advice.**

**Warning! This chapter contains minor graphic description that younger viewers may find disturbing! I apologise for this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the plot of the games. I only take credit for the characters I have created, and the plot twists of my own devising.**

**Enjoy!**

"Who was that? Entering my Dojo without permission! The nerve!"

We all looked sheepishly at the raging Dojo Master. This was a side we had not seen to him. A side we did not like.

Suddenly, the light that filled the room dimmed until barely anything was visible. It was like the sun had been extinguished. Torches now appeared on the walls, and provided us with the light to see. Garro, the Magmar of Team Scorpion, rushed to the entrance. He tried running into the pitch darkness that consumed the outside, but hit an invisible wall and fell cursing to the floor. The dojo Master strode in front of the burning behemoth and placed a mitted palm upon the barrier.

"This is an Imprison move" he finally announced, "It can only be learnt by Ralts and their evolutionary chain. Or Vulpix…"

All eyes turned to Kit who shrugged.

"Not me" she said plainly. Kanari readied herself to defend her partner, but no opposition came.

"It can also be taught to some Ghost types given the right circumstances…" The Dojo Master went on, "Through the fusion of ancient runes into eggs, some Pokémon may learn moves that are not obtainable in their standard growth. Since the figure we just witnessed was clearly not of a physical form, my guess would be that the supernatural realm of Pokémon is at work"

Bolt nodded. "It makes sense to me. After all, some weird things have been happening around here lately. Pokémon have been reporting strange goings on"

"Indeed. In fact, I too experienced something…" The Dojo Master was cut off by the rumbling of the wall behind him. Dust and bricks were thrown up, as a hole began to grow from the centre of the wall. It made a perfect door shape, and a shroud fell over the opening. In the dust that now lay across the floor, words began forming. They looked like they were being traced with a finger, the way children do on steamy windows. After several seconds of formation, a note was visible on the floor:

_Beyond this opening, lie the answers you seek. It is the banished training dungeon of the Ghost discipline. Only two Pokémon may enter, the identities of which will be revealed as they attempt to pass. Anyone else who tries to enter the dungeon will be blocked. Further instructions will be issued upon passage._

"The legendary Ghost dungeon!" exclaimed the startled Dojo Master, "It was under my nose all along!"

"Wasn't it said, that a rescue team leader got taken into the maze by its rogue inhabitants?" piped up Clay.

"So the legend goes…" murmured Kanari. She looked pretty spooked.

"And they had to destroy the dungeon…and everything in it…" added Kit.

I turned to Bolt for some sort of explanation. Expecting this he rushed to the front of the crowd and began telling the story that few seemed to be aware of:

"Many years ago, in this very dojo, a rescue team called Team Sandstorm was training. They were an experienced team made up of a Cacturne and a Graveler and so decided to take training to the next level. They entered the maze and began their long journey to the centre. Half way through their journey, they realised just how difficult the dungeon truly is and decided to turn back. But when they turned, their path was blocked by ghosts. They tried running, but it was no use. The ghosts just passed through the wall to where they were running to. It was only when the Graveler thought of attacking them that they got to the end. However, just as Cacturne stepped out of the darkness behind his partner, a set of lone purple hands dragged him back to the depths of the maze. Ever since then, the entrance has been sealed and untouched. Until now…"

The tiny pink creature, Hoona the Hoppip, began sobbing uncontrollably. Kanari rushed to her side, comforting her.

"I am sorry for upsetting you" he said softly to the whimpering child, "But they are the facts"

"Our only problem is, who are the two Pokémon that have been chosen to walk through this dangerous void?" came a voice.

"Lets find out!" came another, excited at the prospect of being chosen.

Minutes later and all other recruits had been denied entry. Team Voltskull were the only pair not to have been tried, for reasons I feared. When Team Slackers had been rejected, we were last on the list. Trying to put a hand on the shroud, I found it moved when I touched it: the tell-tale sign that it was me that had been chosen. With a sigh, Bolt joined me in pushing past the drape. As we crossed the threshold into this new area, the air fell instantly cold. The dim light that once crept through the opening from the main room was gone, leaving only the minute light that radiated from wandering flames. They were small and purple, but all seemed to be heading in one direction. We decided to follow them; as such a large convoy must mean something.

Wandering through the passages, the walls told stories. Claw marks and holes in the sides of tunnels reminisced of the heavy battles that dealt them. Battles that had proven much more difficult than they had seemed. In other places, the bricks that built the foundations were scattered along the floor, great gouges of stone missing from the walls. At one point, we came across a small hole. It led in to the same pitch blackness that the front door of the dojo led to. However, it was frozen in places and dangerous icicles grasped the roof of the on-going hole. We decided it was best not to try and leave through it.

After we had been traveling for what seemed hours, the dancing flames seemed to disperse, turning back the way we had come. It was as if they had minds of their own.

The only route that we could take now was a long corridor leading into darkness. This was what the flames had been leading us to and they had good reason to turn back. A long way ahead, at the end of the stretch, was a dim, flickering light. The flames stopped to see what we would do. There was only one way through. If we didn't go, we might be trapped in here forever. As we stepped into the darkness, a "kekeke…" could be heard echoing through the whole dungeon. I flinched but carried on walking. As we walked through the darkness, torches on the wall lit up, like in a horror movie. As each caught fire, we could see further into the corridor. The end was now in sight. The caped figure from before slid into the light and his eyes flashed red. Bolt broke into a run. He got there way before I did and was circling the figure on all fours, his cheeks releasing tiny sparks. Even in the light of the candles that surrounded the outskirts of the square room, I could not see the figure properly. It was as if darkness itself stood in front of me. Its cape fluttered in non-existent wind as it spoke in a deep voice.

"Congratulations…you have surpassed my expectations…" it mused, "But I have one last test for you…"

It clicked its fingers, and the crumbling of bricks sounded out from the tunnel we had just come from. Glancing back, I saw a fist penetrate the wall and scatter bricks. An arm followed it, covered in thick spines that ran right up to a neck. A leg came through the new hole, covered in the same spines as the arm. A body with spines spread about it was attached to the arms and legs. Last out of the hole was a rounded head that tilted to one side. Seven holes made up a crude mouth, one hole holding a thin stick, and a folded leaf formed a pointed hat. Round black eyes were empty apart from small red dots in the centre. As this creature stepped into the light, I could see it's skin was wrinkled and cut in some places, revealing plant like tendrils snaking around under the skin. The skin itself was a dark green colour, the spines and hat slightly darker. The steps it took were erratic and didn't seem to be in the control of whatever life was left in this zombie. _This must be Cacturne…_ I deduced.

The shadow figure now stood behind the incoming half dead cactus, laughing menacingly. "kekeke…"

Cacturne opened its collection of mouth holes and fired a rapid poison sting in my direction. I wasn't paying attention, but Bolt deflected them in the nick of time with an iron tail. He ran forward, dodging poisonous rain of needles fired from Cacturne's mouth. White streaks of light trailing behind him, he slammed into the body of the zombie, creating a hole in its abdomen. The tendrils flailed and tried to reconnect. They formed new bonds, wrapping themselves round each other to recreate the shape they once made. I just stared at this disgusting display of healing.  
>While I was distracted, the being raised a jerky fist, which glowed green and sharp. It staggered towards me with surprising agility for such an uncoordinated mover.<p>

"Look out for the needle arm!" Bolt cried in panic, "It's a grass type move!"

I was still thinking about the horror I had just witnessed: the sick way that the vines wrapped round each other and the tiny amount of yellow sap that escaped while doing so.  
>Bolt again came to my rescue with an iron tail.<p>

"Wakey wakey!" he shouted, slapping me softly. He turned and got blasted with a full power whirlwind of sand. The Pikachu hit the wall with a squeak, thrown by the howling sandstorm that dominated the centre of the room. I braced myself, expecting to also be moved, but the sandstorm seemed to have no effect on me. In fact, I felt stronger, sharper, filled with new energy. I threw my bone at the shaking scarecrow. It picked up speed from the swirling sandstorm, and ripped through the Cacturne's arm. The limb fell to the floor and writhed, while the tendrils in the body reached to reclaim it. I took this time to see if Bolt was okay.

"Fine, fine…" he wheezed, "you get back to the fight…"

Suddenly, the lights went out. The sandstorm had snuffed the torches, leaving us in darkness. All that was visible were Cacturne's possessed eyes. _If only we could make another torch!_ _But there's no wood lying around anywhere…wait! _I cast my mind back to when I could see Cacturne's face. _He had a stick in its mouth!_

"Bolt! Direct a thunderbolt towards Cacturne!" I cried

"But he's a grass type! It won't have much effect!" He replied

"Just trust me. And keep doing it until I say stop"

A glowing yellow dagger pierced the darkness, outlining the figure of Cacturne. Bolt had been right, it didn't affect the cactus, but I wasn't expecting it to. I saw a glowing orange for a second, then a full red flame. It ran up Cacturne's stick slowly.

"Stop!" I called.

In the darkness, the fire had reached the end of the stick. An unearthly screech rang out, as Cacturne caught fire. The blaze spread more quickly over him, consuming his whole body within seconds. His skin started to peel and split, the snaking tendrils burning up instantly. Cacturne fell apart, having had his insides destroyed. His skin fell to the floor and burned in an instant. He was still screaming as the last of him disappeared.

The shadow figure clicked his fingers and the torches came back on. He stepped forward, clapping and laughing hysterically.

"Good show! Good show!" he sniggered demonically, "You have yet again surpassed my expectations…"

"Who are you?" shouted Bolt

"For now, all you need to know is my name. Prometheus"

"Why do you take pleasure in this suffering?" my companion asked furiously.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I have more important matters to attend to. Until next time gentlemen" He winked and vanished into the floor.

Guided back by the dancing blue flames, we emerged from the dungeon. The other trainees met us with sympathetic and encouraging words. The entrance to the ghost dungeon sealed itself, never to be opened again.

The Dojo Master pushed his way to the front of our surrounding mob.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"You might not believe it, but we were attacked by Cacturne" Gasps came from all corners of the room.

"Was it alone?" asked the Dojo Master.

"No. the shadow figure from earlier was there as well" Another round of gasps, "We learnt it's name. Prometheus"

"Are you sure?" the Makuhita looked worried.

"Yes" I confirmed.

"Well then. We are all in grave danger…"

**So kind of a short chapter, but it gives a slight insight into the power of the shadow figure, Prometheus. It can bring things back from the dead.  
><strong>**The name comes from the Greek God Prometheus, who was punished by Zeus for giving fire to mankind. I think this name fits the shadow figure quite well.  
><strong>**My new fiction is almost ready for viewing, bearing in mind it is only the first chapter for now.  
><strong>**Thanks for checking out this story! Please favourite and review!**


	12. Chapter 12: First Steps

**Story is heating up and I hope to be posting a bit more over Christmas. Chapters WILL start becoming longer again.**

**Disclaimer… Is now on my profile :L check it out if for some reason you've forgotten that I don't own Pokémon.**

**Enjoy and Review!**

"Excuse me, Madame, do you have a book on the history of the world?"

"Ah, Dojo Master, it is good to see you. Yes right this way"

The librarian, Madame Silenca, waddled over to a high shelf. As her fleshy pink feet plodded up the ladder steps, her criss-cross eyes scrunched up. Reaching out a stubby pink hand, she plucked a thick book from the shelf and scuttled back down the wooden ladder. Her large pink ears curled up as a Machop started talking across the room. After issuing a violent silencing, she returned her attention to our cause.

Madame Silenca was a Whismur, and so, obsessed with quiet. Being the librarian was almost a job she was born to do.

"This book contains records on all events Pokémon have witnessed. Please don't rip the pages and PLEASE be quiet"

The librarian strolled back to her desk and the Dojo Master opened the book to the contents. After finding the page he was looking for near the beginning, he held the book up for me and Bolt to see.

"This" he whispered, "Is the story of banishment. It tells the life of a corrupt god as he journeyed to the mortal realms in search of life."

"Prometheus…" Bolt murmured, a look of recognition on his face.

"Indeed. On his travels, he uncovered primitive life, struggling under the pressure of survival. They were freezing in the harsh winter that engulfed our world. Not liking to watch them suffer, he broke the one rule that Gods should never break. He divulged a sacred secret. The secret of fire. Upon his return, Zeus had heard of his betrayal to the Pokémon God Code, and banished him to earth for all eternity"

"Wow. So he's some kind of mortal god?" I asked

"In a way" the Dojo Master put his head in his hands, "I was going to tell you about my experience of hypnosis before, wasn't I?"

"Yes, we would love to hear it. We need any kind of hint or advice you've got!" I said in a loud voice. I was silenced with a cough from the Whismur behind the main desk.

"Ok. It was about a week ago actually. I was sitting alone in my dojo, when out of the corner of my eye, there was movement in the shadows. Pretending I hadn't noticed, I got up and nonchalantly strolled in the general direction of the movement. Hoping to take it by surprise, I turned sharply and sent a flurry of punches in its direction. But it felt like trying to punch in water. My movements were weakened and painstakingly slow. I was met by those piercing red eyes. I knew it was a ghost"

"Makes sense to me" Bolt added.

"Yes. I woke up the next morning with no memory of what happened. The only thing that told me it had happened was a gaping hole in the wall"

"Mysterious…" Bolt murmured, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Well it has been nice talking. I think we should go now. It's getting late and it has been a long day" I yawned.

"That sounds like a good plan to me" confirmed the Dojo Master. "But you don't seem to know much about the species of Pokémon in our world. I suggest that you take out an encyclopaedia of Pokémon from this library"

I sat reading late into the night. I eventually fell asleep early in the morning, curled up in my straw nest with a heavy book on my lap. I didn't get much rest however, as my nightmare returned:

The Gremlin led me down the hall, before pushing me through the oaken door. I was sure it was a Pokémon, but I hadn't seen anything about it in my book. I stumbled and skidded to a halt on my face. As I picked myself back up, I noticed I could see my arms. They were green and long, each tipped with an elegant hand and four fingers. Still having no control over my movements, I staggered over to a bench and looked round the small room I was stuffed in. It seemed to be a cell, bars covering one side and opposite them, the oak door I had been thrown through. A small pool of water lay unsettled next to the bench. It wasn't very deep, merely a puddle, but deep enough to dip my hand in. After splashing my face, the water began to settle. As it became still, my eyes fell on a face that was not my own. Tears rolled down a feminine and delicate semblance, originating from a pair of sparkling brown eyes. Pale complexion dominated the head of the reflection, the only other true colour a pale green which streaked through the hair that fell loosely over the face. Between the eyes, the hair fell to a point, while towards the side of the head, the fibres formed three spiked tufts that curved out to the side. The tears rolled past a quivering mouth, down a soft chin and fell into the puddle. I recognised this figure. It was a Gardevoir, the embrace Pokémon, who will protect their friends with great care. I felt a pang of sorrow as I watched her despair. The sorrow was joined by so many other feelings, each a product of either my horns, or out of general distaste for what I was witnessing. Unable to take the influx of feelings any longer, I willed myself awake.

I awoke to find myself drenched. Not in sweat, but in tears. The encyclopaedia on my lap was open at entry no.282: Gardevoir.

When it was light enough to read without straining my eyes, I began flicking through the book to find the entry for the gremlin I encountered in my nightmare. Checking the book twice, I could not find it. Upon closer inspection, I found that some entries were missing. Not torn out, but missing. Numbers 92, 93, 94, 200, 292, 302, 353, 354, 355 and 356 were all absent from the publishing. Deciding that there must be a reasonable explanation, I endeavoured to ask my companion.

"They are all ghosts" was his reply, "no-one has been able to keep a record on their behaviours due to their unpredictable and hostile nature"

"Don't you think it is time that someone actually took note?" I asked.

"It would take a madman…"

_Well then, call me loony…_ I sniggered to myself.

"Dahlings!" Cried Florette, as we approached her humble home, "Come in, come in! Belle! We have customers"

The Buttercup Boutique was one of the most colourful Shops in town. Run by its two owners, Florette the Sunflora and Belle the Bellossom, it was THE place to get your rescue accessories. We were welcomed onto the premises by a French kissing Sunflora, and a skipping Bellossom, each eager to start kitting us up.

Every Team needs a signature scarf, embellished with the aims and representations of its founding members.

"You both get to contribute towards the design of this scarf" explained Belle, while Florette rushed to obtain a pad and pencil.

"Let's keep this simple, but memorable yeah?" Me and my team mate agreed.

We finally decided on a design after five minutes. I contributed a skull, similar to mine in design, while Bolt had decided upon a cross of two jagged thunderbolts. The two designs fitted together beautifully, capturing the essence of our duo.

"That is nice!" Said Florette, the artist, "The skull represents the protectiveness and defensive service you provide, while the two thunderbolts show courage and power. This looks to be a perfect recipe!"

Next was the bag fitting. Each active team member was advised to carry a small bag for the transportation of goods and other mission necessities. The bags were made to measure in a single strapped satchel form. They were coloured with the representative hue of our types. My bag was brown, while Bolt's was yellow. Our team name was embroidered on to the front, to distinguish our bags from those of others. After the fitting had finished, we were told we could pick up our bags the next day, once they had been given the finishing touches.

When we arrived back home, Bolt picked up an apple and walked outside. I guessed he needed some time alone, so I didn't say anything.

He came back near to nightfall, tears streaking down his face. When I asked him what was wrong, he just collapsed into my arms.

"I want Vena back, Axel!"

"I know Bolt"

"B-b-b-but I feel like I've forgotten her! I need her back!"

"Well how about we find a new place to search? We will go and collect our new bags, fill them with supplies, then we can go and find a new place to search for her. Does that seem okay to you?"

Bolt nodded, then agreed it was time for bed. I didn't go to sleep. I was afraid of what I might see.

"Can you fit anything more in that bag of yours?" I joked, watching Bolt stuff apple after apple into his newly stitched sack. We were about to check the notice board by the Pelipper Post Office to see if there were any jobs in locations we had not yet visited. There was already a crowd round it when we got there however.

"Stop pushing!"

"Hey that was mine!"

"Wait "Hey that was mine!"

"Wait your turn!"

"Oh gosh" whispered Bolt. He obviously had no intention of trying to scramble for a job.

A booming voice cut the argument as if it was butter.

"What kind of Rescue Teams are you? Willing to fight your fellow crews is not how a good Rescue Team functions"

All eyes turned to a hulking crustacean. Its body was shaped like a bullet with legs and a tail. The tail was fanned out and the feet were wide. Two smaller feet protruded from the belly, while two enormous claws showed power just above them. Two blue stripes hugged its jawline, while a pair of heavy-set eyes sunk into the shelled face. A large golden star shone on its forehead. The Crawdaunt stepped forward.

"I can tell you're all rookies, 'cause no-one else does this, but if I ever see any of this again…may your souls be saved" he strode to the board and carefully plucked a notice from its cork surface. A broad bull stepped in behind him. It was a Tauros, its muscly legs rippling with the strain of carrying its entire bodyweight. A duo of horns were sharpened to deadly points at both sides of its head and three tails flicked viciously from side to side. A shaggy mane covered the bull's neck and must keep it toasty, as hot bursts of breath shot out of its nose, visible in the crisp air.

After that encounter with Team Guillotine, the notice board line ran smoothly. When we finally got to the front of the queue, there were not many jobs left. We looked at the location of the job: Tiny Woods, Mt. Steel, Waterfall Pond and Sinister Woods. There were two places that we hadn't been to. We chose Sinister Woods. Bolt didn't like the idea of Vena being in such a powerful place.

We picked the notice and took it to a rock to read the details:

_Help! I'm lost!_

_Client: Sudowoodo_

_Location: Sinister Woods_

_Reward: 100poké_

"Well, this is our first official rescue mission" I said rubbing my hands together.

There was no sign of Vena. Travelling into the seemingly centreless forest, large trees loomed above us; the shadows of various bugs scuttling for shelter being thrown down on our path. We passed many cooperative Pokémon on our trip. But from Exeggutor to Scyther, none had heard of a young Pichu running around. When we did find Sudowoodo, we were actually quite disappointed. Bolt barely managed a smile when the imitation Pokémon handed us a pouch of coins and danced off into a hollowed out oak tree.

"What would have happened if we had taken the Waterfall Pond mission?" Bolt asked me. He was looking quite depressed that we hadn't found a lead of any sort. In all fairness the mission had been pretty boring. As we neared the exit of the forest, I did start to wonder what we would have found if we ventured into Waterfall Pond…

**Next Chapter will focus on Vena, as she hasn't been mentioned in a while. Guess where she will be…?**

**Just some clearing up for Trakyan: In this story, the Pokémon race was an experiment by the gods to see whether life could cope without the power that the gods possessed. Prometheus giving away the secret of fire is like using an action replay pack to get a Pokémon you can't find-cheating- so he was punished for his wrongful actions.**

**The flames were designed to kind of represent a Will-o-wisp attack, tying in with Prometheus' ability to control fire.**

**And please by all means discuss what you think Prometheus is: if you guess correctly, it just means I'm doing my job right :)**

**Thanks for checking out my story everyone! Good feedback, like I'm getting, makes it worth writing!**


	13. Chapter 13: Her Side

**Hey everybody! I just wanna say a massive thanks to everyone who has checked out my story over the past three months! It means a lot and I couldn't have done it without ya!**

**Enjoy and review!**

The chinking of metal sounded, as Morgue raised his fists in the air.

"Come on! Speed up! It's freezing!"

"Sorry sir!"

"Don't sorry me!" He exclaimed in anger, "This is meant to make you forget about manners and respect!"

"Shut up sir…"

"That's more like it! Bweh-heh-heh…"

_How did I get into this mess? _Vena thought to herself as she skittered along the slippery lily pads. It had begun to snow softly, and the wet surfaces of Waterfall Pond had begun to freeze and harden. _How is this meant to make me forget about anything? The only thing I've forgotten is how sitting down feels. _She could hear Morgue's metallic munchers chattering in the rapidly cooling air. She looked over at him.

His long arms were wrapped round his rotund body, his pointed tail shivering wildly. His small legs shook, trying to keep his vibrating body and huge head upright. The zips that made up his lips were chattering and his normally wide red eyes were screwed up tight. What Vena could only imagine was another tail, stuck out of the back of Morgue's head. If she hadn't seen a Banette before, she could have guessed by the zips.

Vena let out a squeak as she slipped over and fell flat on her face. Normally, she wouldn't have cried, but her face was so cold that the pain was felt twice as much.

"Get up!" Morgue shouted, "Those are Fake Tears!"

_Pichu can't learn Fake Tears…_ Vena thought. _He won't believe me anyway._

"It sure is cold…" Morgue muttered.

Vena's ears pricked up, "How about going back now if you're cold?"

"Fine. But first, ten laps and five more Pokémon, got it?"

She had to admit, Morgue was enthusiastic about his job.

Vena was meant to train by running in circles across the lily pads that covered the surface of the ponds, but Morgue had insisted that it wasn't enough. Her latest task involved battling the various water types that inhabited Waterfall pond. Rumour had spread of her massacre, so only a few lionhearted fish passed their way. If the young mouse began to struggle, she was assisted by the veteran ghost type, but as time went on, she needed help less and less.

A splashing sound was heard, as a trio of Magikarp wriggled towards Vena. She wasted no time in releasing a weak thundershock towards the group. Before it reached them, they began to glow a bright shade of white and the electric move disappeared. Their bodies elongated and became segmented like a serpent's, while they grew new fins and old ones became wider. The two whiskers that hung from their faces also grew longer and a three-pronged crest grew out of the top of their heads. When the light faded, three new gargantuan forms sat in their places. Instead of being bright orange, they were now a shade of light blue, with undersides of white. Three gaping maws fell open under the strain of their weight. Instead of three pathetic Magikarp, there now slithered three ferocious Gyarados.

They each roared and exclaimed in unison:

"We are the guardians of Waterfall Pond. You have been disturbing the peace and will now face the consequences of your actions"

With another roar, one Gyarados sprung forwards and swiped its tail at Vena, who narrowly dodged. Another leapt for Morgue, who tittered and sunk into the floor. The final Gyarados, and noticeably the largest, let its mouth widen even more, and unleashed a swirling blue vortex from its throat. It spiralled up into the sky, before forming a dragon's head and plummeting down towards the ground. Without any effort, Morgue rose back out of the earth and made the smallest shadow ball he could. He flicked it gently with his finger and thumb, so that it glided slowly towards the rocketing dragon rage. As small and feeble as the shadow ball was, it tore through the swirling blue cloud and popped, turning the once mighty dragon type attack into harmless blue sparks. The look on the Gyarados' faces told Vena that they did not want to pursue this battle any further. As they turned to leave, Morgue raised a steady hand. The serpents bumped into an invisible wall. Unable to escape, they began to panic and thrash around. Seeing her chance to win her tutor's favour, she summoned as much electricity into her cheeks as she could, then launched the jagged thundershock at the alarmed Gyarados. It was the most powerful move she had ever used, and took a lot out of her, but the laugh that erupted from the Banette seemed to replenish her energy.

"I can't believe your brother doesn't want you back!" he cried through floods of hysterical tears, "That was priceless!"

_Yes _thought Vena, _I can't believe it either…_

When the mysterious caped figure had offered her the chance to be powerful and respected, she had not thought for one minute about how her brother would feel. Prometheus had told her of how her brother had forgotten her and had replaced her, how he had truly hated her all of her life. Although she could never think of her brother to have hated her, she knew she could believe the generous benefactor of her newfound power. For weeks she had been training in the depths of Darknight Relic, under the watchful and mischievous eye of Morgue, the Banette. This was her first time outside the ancient ruins in a long time, and as glad as she was to be outside, she would rather have not come out on such an icy day.

The loud splash of the Gyarados hitting the water, their bodies crackling with electricity, snapped her out of her thought process. She looked up to see Morgue standing next to her, an oversized grin plastered across his wide face. The Banette was mysterious, rarely injecting much effort into his activities. Vena had, at first, thought of him as a lazy coward and was slightly scared of him. But as time went on, and she spent more and more time with him, she had begun to see him in a new light. Times like now, when she had made him laugh made her feel really good. It was like she was playing with a doll.

"Ok, now I'm impressed" he sniggered, "I think we'll call it quits now. I'm starting to feel the cold again…"

He was right that it was getting colder. Snow had started falling heavier and heavier and even the wet floor had started to collect the powdery ice crystals.

"We had better leave now…it's a long way home and I don't wanna get caught up in this snow…"

"I can't see anything in this blizzard…" Vena's voice was lost in the howling winds. They had not travelled far from Waterfall Pond, when the real snow had fallen. It clouded the two figure's vision and had disorientated them so much, that they had ended up going in the wrong direction.

"There's a light over there!" shouted Morgue, pointing to a twinkle of light, "Hold on!"

He trained his eyes onto his hands and began to create a bright blue flame. It made vision that tiny bit clearer, but at the same time threw shadows into the near path. This was the first time that Vena had ever seen her mentor take life as anything but a joke. She was genuinely afraid.

Having no other choice than to walk towards the distant light, the two Pokémon arrived at a small town. It was the dead of night and street lamps were dimly visible in the harsh snowstorm. Coloured light hung on strings between them. Recognition flitted through Vena's mind. Without consulting Morgue, she raced in the direction that seemed most familiar to her. She passed a frozen fountain, with a long and elegant stone figure resting snow-covered on top. She passed houses and shops shaped like heads and raced past long road leading to 'The Dojo'. Finally reaching her presumed destination, she tore down a stone path and arrived at a window. No light came from the windows and the building was silent. Morgue drifted to her side, a look of mischief on his face.

"Yes, this is it. This is where my brother and I…my brother lives. The least he can do is shelter us under his roof during this storm. He isn't home anyway…"

"Well then" Said the ghost, popping his head up from inside the cottage, "Let's make ourselves at home…"

In the early hours of the morning, Vena and Morgue arose and left the premises, leaving rubbish and bedding strewn about the floor. A picture with a smashed frame lay face down on a table. The door was left wide open and admitted the faint light from the rising sun into the darkened room. Snow covered the window sills and the front mat. Vena kicked snow onto the swept floor from outside.

"Bolt should know we've been…" Muttered Vena, angrily.

As the duo left the stone path, a Snubbull raised it's pink head and stared at the two Pokémon.

"Vena! It's me! Coran!" It turned to face the main square, "Everyone Vena's back!"

Not turning to look at the oncoming throng of Pokémon, Vena grabbed Morgue's arm and dragged him briskly through the deep snow. It was up to her neck, so running was near impossible. Seeing they were not going to get very far, The Banette picked up his young charge and began to run through the snow. They did not stop until they were out of the view of the villagers.

"You know them then…" Morgue panted.

"Kinda, yeah" answered Vena, "I used to be good friends with that Snubbull"

"Well who needs friends when ya got me, eh?" he sniggered.

Nothing else was said between the two until they reached the channel of water that lay between the mainland and the small island that Darknight Relic rested upon. Morgue raised a palm and closed his eyes. He began walking across the barrier that he had implemented above the water. Vena followed at his heels, cautious not to find a gap in the invisible bridge.

The island was not far away, and they soon came to land again. Vena was glad to be off the barrier. She could not feel anything under her feet, yet she was being supported. It was a peculiar sensation. One that she did not quite like.

Darknight Relic was an old, crumbling ruin. The remains of a burial chamber, it was the home of every kind of ghost possible. From Gastly to Dusclops, all beings of the supernatural typing found refuge here. It was not very vast, but secrets lay within its walls. At its centre was a round room. Most would have taken this as a dead end, a reason to turn back. But, unbeknown to common Pokémon, there was a hidden tunnel. By just a lift of a rock, you would find a length of rope, stretching down into a dark hole. Rungs were stationed at equal intervals. Being short, Vena found descending the rope to be difficult and only made it due to the help of her tutor.

At the end of the rope, was a large room. Candles lit up the room. Beams had been installed in the ceiling to support the weight of the earth above it. Even these were not enough, as cracks had formed on the walls under the strain of the ceiling. The floor was dusty and worn, the result of many years rubbing on it. The wall opposite the rope was dominated by a large oaken door. Carvings of Pokémon were etched into the door, each possessing a precious stone. There were pouncing Persians, spitting Seadra and springing Spoink. The door was finished with a large brass knocker that led deeper into the island. Vena and Morgue stopped at the door, and the ghost stepped forward. He knocked on the wood three times. Slowly and forcefully. On the fourth knock, he let his hand pass through the door. Moments later, his hand returned and the door began to swing open. Behind it stood a purple figure, rubbing its hands. It's diamond eyes sparkled and it began to shake. Another identical creature stepped to its side, this one holding a lantern in one hand. They were Sableye. The first grunted and began to walk down the passage beyond the door. The other followed, a signal for Vena and her tutor to move.

They finally reached a three way fork in the path. Two led uphill, one signposted _Prison_ and the other signposted _Treasure Room_. The third had a sign reading Tomb_ Town _and led downhill. The escorts took the one leading downwards. To good old Tomb Town!

Tomb Town was Vena's first experience of the ghost world. She had been blindfolded and transported here, until she could be trusted with the location. Waking up and seeing the grins on the faces of the young ghosts were all the persuading she needed to stay. Tomb Town is not as eerie and scary as the name implies. It is actually a friendly place, alive in energy like any other town. All were friendly to Vena. She loved it there. At the far-most edge of Tomb Town was a large wall. it had another oaken gate, and past it, was the entrance to Prometheus' castle. The walls were high and impenetrable, so as to protect the dark lord Prometheus. The Sableye stopped at this gate and it swung open. A new set of Sableye joined us and began leading us up some stone stairs. At the top, under a canopy of torn cloth and on a golden throne, sat Prometheus. His cape was draped over the arm of one side of the throne, still fluttering. He looked bored, holding his face with a single hand. When he saw us though, his eyes lit up and a large grin sprung onto his face.

"Greetings, I trust that your adventure was a fruitful one" Prometheus was always one for diplomacy and formality.

"Yes, my lord. I am thoroughly impressed with the young Pichu's progress" answered Morgue, bowing his head slightly. Vena's ears pricked up and she smiled.

"We did get caught up in the blizzard though, Uncle Prometheus" she added.

Prometheus tutted, "Well I'm glad you're safe now my darling. Morgue you are dismissed. Please depart to your quarters and rest"

As Morgue left, Prometheus patted his lap, and Vena jumped up onto it. She snuggled in to his cloak, which he wrapped around her.

"Are you hungry my dear?" The shadow creature asked the mouse perched on his lap.

Vena's stomach began to grumble and groan. She didn't need to say.

"Gustav! Bring me some food for the young lady!"

A Shedinja floated slowly up the stairs. He was Prometheus' right hand man and had been since he was discarded. A Shedinja is a special Pokémon, the by-product of an evolving Nincada. He was very fragile, only leaving Darknight Relic on special occasions. But here, he waited on Prometheus Claw and wing. The tiny halo that perched on his head was shiny and showed age. He was very old.

Gustav placed a bowl with fruit in, on a trolley and pushed it to the throne sitters' side. His claws were shaky, but not as shaky as a Sableye. Vena picked an apple and some berries and kissed the old bug on its forehead.

"Thank you Gustav!" She cried biting the apple with greed. Gustav smiled, his wrinkled shell furrowing.

"So Vena. How far have you come?"

"Well, I'm getting really good at thundershock!" she cried in pride.

"It is coming near to the festival named 'Christmas' that you celebrate, is it not?"

Vena's mind flitted to the town. There were Christmas lights up that was for sure. Her face fell at the thought of missing Christmas.

"I have something for you, my darling" Prometheus tapped her nose gently with a finger, "Gustav!"

Gustav floated back up the steps clutching a piece of material. Placing it in Prometheus' outstretched hand, he turned and left. It glinted in the moonlight that rained down from a hole in the ceiling. The ghost lord sat up his charge and draped the material round her neck.

"A beautiful scarf, for a beautiful Pokémon" He was right. The scarf was an emerald green, contrasting beautifully with Vena's yellow colouring.

She gasped. "Oh, uncle Prometheus! I love it!"

Giving him a hug and a kiss, she jumped down from his lap.

"I'm really tired now. I am going to bed. Goodnight uncle P!"

He got up too. He stepped into the moonlight that came from the ceiling. Vena could, for the first time, see his true form. Instead of black, he was now a deep purple. He looked like a Gengar, but was notably taller and broader. He smiled at her and drew his cape about him. He took her hand and walked down the stone steps leading to the town. He would part with her at the gate, then retire to his own chambers below the throne.

As Vena departed, she called back "I love you uncle P!"

As Prometheus turned, he smiled. He was overly fond of that girl. Instead of going to bed, he decided to pay a visit to a sleeping ground type. Giving him nightmares was the only way to find the answer he craved…

**Merry Christmas to all! This was a fun chapter to write and I hope you liked it! **

**Trakyan you were right in one of your guesses. Maybe this chapter will give you an obvious answer now :) **

**I should be posting the first chapter of my new story on Boxing Day. I've been working hard on it! It might seem slow, but I promise the story will be great!**

**Thanks for checking this out!**

**Once again MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	14. Chapter 14: Freezing Reasoning

**Hey everybody! This story is getting a lot of views so I just wanna say, THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**And, can you please check out my new story, **_**Porygon's Path**_**. The idea of a Porygon may not be to everyone's taste, but I promise the story will be great!**

**Please review and enjoy!**

"I can't see through this snow!" I just about heard Bolt shout, "We can't get home!"

A blizzard had kicked up out of nowhere. Unfortunately, we had travelled to Tiny Woods to pick some fresh berries, only to find that the snow had started to fall. Heavily. Being under the canopy of trees, we did not see it until it was too late.

This proved a great excuse, however, to pay a visit to our friend Mateo. He lived in the centre of the forest with a large pack of Raticate and Rattata. As we approached, a group of young Rattata ran to meet us. Their spirits did not seem to be brought down by the icy oblivion that lay on the other side of the trees. Squeaking and hopping with excitement, they led us towards a large hut made out of wood and leaves. This must have been built recently, as the wood was still dry and fresh.

"Bolt! Axel!" roared a familiar voice as we stepped into a small cloakroom-like space. The lumbering mass of muscle greeted us warmly with handshakes on the doorstep, before ushering us into the main room. The smell of roasting berries hit us, along with incenses of pine and lavender. At the centre of the room, were countless fires, each under the watchful eyes of several careful Raticate. It was obviously coming up to diner time: wooden tables were being set up in large squares around the room, each being equipped with plates. Nearly all of the Raticate's nests had been moved into this structure. It gave a sense of community to the once primitive groups. Mateo also had his own quarters, a spacious room at the back of the dwelling. He led us there so we could talk.

"Nothing's really changed around here" he confirmed to us.

"Oh, apart from a giant hut in the centre of the clearing!" I laughed.

"Well, yeah, but I meant behaviour wise. Everything has been normal. Do you two have any new information?"

"We now know the culprit's name" added Bolt, "It is Prometheus"

"You don't mean like…"

"Yes. THE Prometheus"

"Oooh man! I didn't even know that story was true!"

"We need to stop him, but we have no idea where he is, or how"

"Well if you need information, my scouts say that the legendary bird, Articuno, is behind this blizzard"

"How do they know?"

"They heard her cry from up on Mt. Freeze. A few minutes later, the snow started falling. It's a no brainer really" Mateo put his head in his hands, "Though getting up that mountain will be no piece of cake, trust me, I've tried"

"I'm not too keen on snow or ice myself" I said, shivering.

"Come on! We need to find the reason for this weather! Do it for Vena!" Bolt squeezed my hand.

"You really know how to use something against a guy!" I nodded.

"Well if you're gonna go, at least wait till morning!" insisted Mateo.

"Morning? Is that all? I was going to wait till next week…" I murmured, tapping my foot on the floor.

"Hey, I'll train you if you want! You know to get a better chance!" Mateo shouted proudly, his monstrous hands covering his entire hip.

"That would be great!" Bolt smiled, "Really great"

"Well before we do anything, lets eat!" I think my stomach prompted me to say that, but I couldn't care. Anything to postpone the climb up the dreaded icy mountain.

"Five more press-ups!" Mateo barked. He had put on some wristbands and Mightyena tags. Every time he shouted something at us, the muscles in his neck would bulge.

It had been decided that we would be accompanied by three Raticate. They were training with us, running round tracks and doing press-ups. Mateo had a training room under the hut, filled with all manner of equipment. The moment he stepped down here, the Mateo we knew had vanished. In his place was a cruel and relentless weight lifting machine. He had no concern for our health, only that we weren't lifting enough. My strengths seemed to lie in the power category, while Bolt's was his agility. According to Mateo, a well balanced team couldn't go wrong. The three Raticate were notably larger than many of the others that resided here. Each had large incisors, filed to sharp points and fur that was bright and healthy. After an hour of nonstop exercising, Mateo decided that we were done. He then introduced us to our travelling company.

The first was Skeetrus, whose teeth could chew through solid metal. Around his neck was a blue loop of fabric, a Power Band. On his back was a large sack, for carrying treasures and equipment alike.

Next was a female, Attrus. She was an expert thief, able to slide something out of your hand without you even noticing. Her footsteps made no sound and her hair was slicked back to help her hide. She had much narrower shoulders, making it easy for her to get into small gaps.

The final member was a familiar face. A male, Lerrus. He wore a red Special Band around his head and was proficient in that type of attack. Also a master marksman, he could hit a Caterpie with a stone from 100 metres.

Mateo caught me staring at Lerrus and decided to enlighten me.

"Lerrus is the Raticate that you first encountered here in tiny woods. The one that tried to take your bone"

After he said this, I instantly recognised him.

"He has been training hard to make sure nothing like that every happens again"

Lerrus nodded at me, regret in his eyes. I nodded back and smiled. I forgave him.

"Why is it so c-cold?" I shivered.

"It is Mt. Freeze…" answered Bolt, almost oblivious to the temperature.

The snow was falling heavier and heavier, even finding its way into the intricate cave system that led in and out of the mountain. It was cold no matter how far into the core of the mountain we ventured. The road ahead of us was blocked by fallen rocks.

"There is no way past. A bit further ahead is another path leading outside" Attrus warned me, "We are about three quarters of the way to the top. Be careful of any rocks"

"Oh great!" I moaned, "Can this get any worse? First those Zangoose and now an even longer climb and a chance of being crushed by oversized pebbles!"

"Who are you calling an oversized pebble?"

Looking closer, the fallen rocks were actually slightly blue. They shook, then sprouted stubby legs and began shuffling towards us. They stopped in front of our crew and turned. There were about ten in total, each sporting a large red nose-like rock. Lumpy arms extended from their bodies and a pair of slit eyes opened above their noses. Their voices seemed to hum at a single melodramatic pitch. If my memory served me correct, they were Nosepass.

"What are you here for?" one asked.

"We are here for an audience with the great Articuno" Lerrus stated.

"On what terms?" asked another Nosepass.

"To seek a reason for this harsh storm" Bolt added formally.

"Then follow us. Your reasons appear to be of a true nature" The Nosepass at the front of the crowd turned and led its followers along the once blocked path. It was either freeze outside on a longer path, or tail this mysterious group further into the mountain. We chose the latter.

"Articuno used to reside in the Frosty Forest, but due to a plague of Ditto, she had to find a new dwelling. And where better the in Mt. Freeze?" As well as being a stealthy thief, Attrus was also quite the story teller.

"Why would she move away just because of a few Pokémon?" I asked, "I've read Ditto have lived in that forest for generations!"

"You don't understand. When I say plague, I mean PLAGUE. As in everywhere" She shook her head, "Ditto are strange creatures. They can turn into anything they see. That forest was vacated a long time ago"

"How long ago was that?" Skeetrus rumbled, "As far back as I remember Articuno has been up here"

Attrus tapped the side of her long nose, "Only a few years. It was kept on the quiet, but I know my surroundings. Rumour has it, that…"

"We are here" Interrupted the Nosepass, gesturing to a great metal door. Not wanting to be in the company of this strange band any longer, we quickly approached the door. The Rock Pokémon had been muttering to themselves this whole journey and I was not one for the secretive type. Bolt sprung to mind.

The door was a standard plate, with a rim running the perimeter. Skeetrus raised a tough paw and tried pushing it open. It wouldn't budge.

"No good. Frozen"

"Here, give us a stick, Skeetrus" Bolt said, reaching out a mitt. The rat pulled a small wooden beam from his pack and placed it into the outstretched paw. Handing it to me, Bolt winked. He rubbed his cheeks for a moment, then placed a static paw on the wood. It burst into flame, catching the Raticate by surprise. We set it on the floor by the door, hoping for the ice to melt.

"Doesn't look like it's getting anywhere" said Lerrus awkwardly, looking at the crackling stick.

"Needs more power than just a small flame" Attrus moaned.

Suddenly, Lerrus' eyes flashed. He scuttled to where the mountainous form of Skeetrus stood and rummaged around in his pack. He brought out a orange-tinged disk and handed it to me.

"This is a TM Flamethrower. We need to use it to melt through the ice, but you are the only one of us who can learn it"

"How do I use it?" I asked.

"Place it on your forehead" he answered simply.

Doing as I was told, I touched the edge of the disk to my forehead, closed my eyes and waited. After a few seconds of nothing I was about to give up, when a sudden warmth began to engulf me. It swirled around my body, licking even the coldness of my feet. My fingertips began to tingle and I felt burning for a moment, before I felt the heat channel itself into my throat. I breathed heavily and sensed the fire in my mouth. Although it was hot, it did not pain me. My breath was hotter than usual, the effects of the new move. I opened my eyes and focused them onto the burning stick on the floor. Taking a deep breath, I expelled fire from my mouth with such force, that I slid on the ice. The burning timber got the full blaze, and exploded into hot embers. The ice around the door had already began to melt. It was creating puddles on the floor.

I stepped back and admired my handiwork, oblivious to the amazed features of the rest of my group. Lerrus clapped a small hand on my back.

The blizzard howled as the heavy door swung open and I instantly felt the cold rush of air freeze the burning sensation in my mouth. We were almost at the peak. Only a few stone steps lay between us and a meeting with the great ice bird Pokémon. We heard her before we had put a foot on to the first step. Snow covered statues of ice type Pokémon decorated the sides of the walkway: Snorunts huddled together, their stone smiles carved intricately with precision and emotion. Beyond these, were three Smoochum statues, partaking in a game of ring-around-the-Roselia. Each of their eyes seemed to glisten with ice, creating a childlike aura. Finally were two Sneasel locked in an epic combat, whose claws were so sharp, snowflakes seemed to tear in two upon contact.

At the end of the stairs, was a large figure, shrouded in a heavy snow that blocked all vision. A smaller figure hopped out from within the snowy cloak.

A purple bivalve shell appeared before us, large points strutting out from its side. Many craters were visible on the almost impenetrable barricade: a thin divide was heavily set between the two separate shell parts. From within the shell came a piercing voice.

"Empress!" it called towards the billowing cloud of cold, "You have some Pokémon here to see you"

The swirl of icy air remained the same.

The purple shelled creature opened its clasped encasing. In it was what looked like a black pearl. It had sorrowful eyes and a drooped mouth. For a Cloyster, it was unnaturally sad.

"I am Shard. I do apologise for her highness' mood. She hasn't been feeling herself lately. In all honestly, none of us have. She is the driving force of us ice types. The emotion behind each and every one of us"

"What happened to her?" Bolt questioned.

"It's her brothers. The three Birds are so close, but recently the other two have been acting differently"

"Differently?" I asked quickly. If things were as I thought, many Pokémon could be in danger.

"Ignoring Empress, committing mindless act of violence, that sort of thing"

Mindless. A nod from Bolt confirmed my suspicions.

"Well we didn't come up here for nothing. Our prime reason was to find the reason for the blizzard, but I guess we know that is due to a sulk. Now we know the situation, it is our duty as a Pokémon Rescue Team to help" Bolt's hands were on his hips.

He turned to Empress, who was still sulking in her cloud of ice.

"Team Voltskull is at your assistance if ever you need it, your highness"

The snowy cloak did not move. As we turned to leave, a shrill cry rang out across the peaks of nearby mountains. The whirling snow covering Empress had vanished. In its place was a truly beautiful sight. A majestic bird stood tall, her pastel blue plumage contrasting effortlessly with the falling snow. Puffing out her white chest, she stood proud and immaculate, like an angel among the clouds. Her long tail coiled round her feet and shone with a bluish hue in the light of the sun. on top of her head was a crest comprising of three short feathers. They looked like crystals of ice and created a crown like effect. Her eyes were deep red and sparkled like rubies. She opened her beak and for the first time, spoke.

"It is not of my nature to ask for assistance, but this matter is out of my hands. My brothers have been acting unnaturally. I need you to put a stop to it. I will send word by Delibird if anything comes up. Good luck"

And with that, Empress spread her wings and soared off into the snowy sky.

"Would you look at that…our first major job" Bolt murmured, mesmerised by the soaring form of the Articuno, now far in the distance.

**Sorry it has been so long! If I'm honest it was me being lazy, but these words seemed to fall straight out of my head and onto the page. The break restored my imagination, but I will post regularily again from now on.**

**Trakyan- thanks for pointing that out I had not realised!**

**Thanks for checking out this story! Much appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15: Cries In The Night

**Hey everyone! A big welcome to my new reviewer, the anonymous 'just-a-chic'!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Much to my relief, the storm passed over, taking with it the treacherous cold. The mountain was now safer to descend and we wasted no time in doing so. The clouds that bore storm once covered the sun, throwing everything into darkness. Now that the murky hurricane had vanished, the time of day was apparent. It was evening. There was no way of telling how long we had been inside the mountain. Our only bet was Mateo's timekeeping.<p>

In the snow, it had taken what seemed like days to get from Tiny Woods to Mt. Freeze. In reality, I could see the treeline of the forest on the near horizon. The quicker we got back to see Mateo, the quicker I could rest my aching legs. We broke into an exhausted run.

"Fantastic! I knew you guys could do it!" Mateo clapped in admiration as he saw us traipsing through the undergrowth. "The storm has gone and you made it back! Oh joys!"

It was good to see he had not forgotten us. I collapsed at his feet, panting furiously. He picked me up and carried me inside. The rest of my team followed him.

"So, she wants you to see her brothers for her?" Mateo inquired.

"Yes. She was unhappy after a fight with them, so decided to sulk and create a blizzard"

"She's one childish commander then isn't she?"

"Unfortunately. I fear if we do not embark on this quest soon, she might go into another rage"

"You may be right. Before you go, I have something to give you. Follow me"

Mateo led us into his quarters and opened a drawer. Inside it was a drawstring pouch and two small rings.

He handed us the three items.

"The pouch contains 500 coins for doing me and my people a service. The rings are a little something from me. I made them myself."

The rings were truly a sight to behold. The ring itself was a shiny gold, with swirls of silver fused in. They both had a stone embedded in the centre. Mine was a sapphire, while Bolt's was a ruby. They reminded me of my nightmare, but only momentarily.

"They enhance your natural abilities. Bolt, your Static ability will have more of a chance of paralyzing your foes. Axel, your Lightningrod ability will gain power, letting you attract electricity from further away"

I smiled and looked down at my ring. _I never knew I had an ability. _I thought to myself. _I wonder when and how it will work… maybe I'll have to wait and see. _I beamed at Mateo.

"Thank you friend" I said, "These are truly wonderful"

"I agree" murmured Bolt, totally transfixed by his new accessory.

* * *

><p>We shook hands and departed, walking through the dark of night. Zubat soared above our heads, screeching and beating their wings, while Volbeat and Illumise danced around each other, their tails lighting up the shadows. The snores of slumbering Snorlax pulsated out across the plain, causing the grass to sway and the Poochyena to howl in fright. Nightlife was pleasuring to both the ears and the eyes.<p>

For a moment, all went silent. Then a single cry echoed around. All previous activities halted. The gathering of firefly Pokémon conferred for a moment. An Illumise hovered towards us.

"Excuse me? Was that you?" she asked, innocence plain in her voice.

"No, we thought it was one of you" Bolt answered.

The Illumise shook her head. "Maybe it was one of the other Pokémon. Will you help us check it out? I'm feeling a little scared"

"Of course we will!" I cried, "We are a Pokémon Rescue Team!"

"What a relief! It's okay everyone! They are a Rescue Team!"

A confused assortment of voices spoke up. The Volbeat and Illumise all seemed frightened. We were joined by five Poochyena, led by a hulking Mightyena.

"What is all this noise?" asked the Mightyena, baring her teeth, "My babies are trying to sleep!"

"We are sorry, miss" a Volbeat answered, "But we heard a strange noise"

"That cry? I heard it too. Do you think something's wrong?" the Mightyena's mothering instincts had kicked in.

"Yes" I answered simply and the chattering continued.

Yet again, the talking stopped abruptly and the wail was heard.

"Right" Shouted Bolt, taking charge. "We need a plan of action, so I suggest we split up and find what's making that noise!"

Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd.

"I need ten Volbeat to take to the sky and light up the night. Some Illumise also need to fetch those Zubat for backup. GO!"

The Volbeat and Illumise flew into the air, the Volbeat's tails glowing with renewed energy.

"The rest of you, follow Axel! He will scout around the area! If you find anything, report back"

"What about you?" I asked.

"I will take Mightyena and her pups along with this Illumise" he answered, gesturing to the original Illumise that had approached us before.

"Lilith" nodded the firefly Pokémon.

"And I'm René" bowed the large dog. "My pups will come with me"

"Brilliant!" smiled Bolt, "We need all the eyes we can get!"

The swarm of Zubat flew down and fluttered in place. Bolt informed them of our situation and they were happy to oblige. They were split into groups, to scout the using sonar and to warn other Pokémon. It was good to see a group of creatures work together for a common goal. I felt warm inside watching them.

It was not long before we heard the same cry again. A few minutes passed and one of the Zubat began to squeak. They had found something in a patch of long grass. And it was alive.

Pushing to the centre of the group of puzzled Pokémon, I clocked Bolt, then set eyes on the figure lying before us. It was a pale violet coloured rock, with various craters and holes across its surface. A yellow-white skull and crossbones was printed across a slowly expanding chest: breathing was gradual and slow. A faint expression of shock took over the creature's face and its wide eyes fluttered. A drooping mouth opened and bore two blunt teeth. It looked to me like a Koffing, but it did not seem in the best of shapes. It's stomach started to rumble.

"Pass me some food! Quickly!" Bolt yelled at the surrounding Pokémon. An apple was passed forward and he brought it to the Koffing's mouth. The fruit was accepted gratefully and was consumed within seconds. The gaseous sphere fluttered it's eyes and let out a monotonous groan. It began to float out of Bolt's hands and into the air. The Koffing opened its eyes slowly and stared at the multitude of onlookers. It looked scared and utterly distraught.

Whenever I have read about Koffing, this usually means that an explosion is imminent. Their bodies swell up and their faces screw up tightly under the pressure. They expel a toxic gas, then simply explode. The firefly Pokémon around the Koffing had already crouched down and clasped their heads. René had curled round her pups and the Zubat had taken cover at a suitable distance. All were expecting to be thrown back by the blast. We waited… and waited… but the detonation had not occurred. Cautiously, we raised our heads to see the Koffing go an even deeper shade of purple. Its cheeks were as big as apples, and its eyes had crossed in effort. The creature stopped, looked around in confusion, then burst into floods of tears.

Bolt was first on the scene.

"Hey" he said anxiously, "Is something the matter?"

I stood up next to him. "It didn't explode?"

"No…"

"Leave me alone!" cried the Koffing, masculine and aggravated.

"Why didn't you explode?" I asked.

"If I wanted you to know my life story, I would have said…" sniffed the Koffing.

"Look, it is our duty to help. If you can't explode, at least let us know why!" It was Bolt's turn to be aggressive.

"I've never been able to…" the Koffing looked down in shame. "I was exiled from my group because of it… Now I have nothing. Happy now?"

"No" I answered. "We can help"

"Get lost! I don't need your help or… or your kindness! I was getting on fine… by myself" The Koffing seemed distant.

"What's your name?" I asked, intent on helping this troubled soul.

"Toxin" it beamed proudly, "Got any food?"

"Talk about mood swings…" Bolt whispered to me.

I handed Toxin another apple and he gobbled it down with great gusto.

"You are all alone aren't you?"

"Yes…" he slurred, juice dripping from his mouth.

"Would you like a place to stay?" Bolt asked.

"Oh yes!" the Koffing screamed in delight. Suddenly, he burst into tears again. "Oh, I miss my frie-e-e-ends!"

"Well, I guess you'd better come with us then"

* * *

><p>"Oh boy! Where do I sleep?" Toxin cried eagerly.<p>

"Here" Bolt laid down some fresh bedding. "That's odd! there's a puddle on the floor. and bits of bedding have been left everywhere. I don't rememer doing that! Oh well..."

"I'm sooo hungry!" the purple sphere complained.

"Again? You've eaten four times tonight!" I rolled my eyes at the unpredictable Pokémon.

"Last time, I promise!" he grinned.

Happily munching on a sizeable bowl of Oran Berries, Toxin finally went to bed. Dawn was approaching fast and it had been a long night. We had a big task to complete in the morning, one that I was not sure Toxin was totally capable of. Sleep is always the best recipe for strength, so I drifted off to the snoring of the poisonous orb.

I was back in my nightmare again. I began from where the gremlin had thrown me through the great doors. I picked myself up, sat down and gazed into the reflective water. Days flashed before my eyes, each one making the jail I was in seem all the more dreadful. Each day was the same: a drink from the pool and a mouthful of gruel that had been slipped under the door. Time slowed down suddenly, as a brand new day was beginning. In the third person, the figure of what I had identified to be a Gardevoir arose, to find a shadow in the darkness of her cell. My vision slipped back into the standard first person, as a new figure stepped in to sight.

Tall and broad, with long arms and legs, the creature was instantly recognisable. It was the Pokémon whose brain cells were said to be infinitely multiplying, giving it an IQ of 5,000. It was the Pokémon whose psychokinetic powers were so great; it could move an entire body perfectly with just its mind. It was the Pokémon spoken of in legends. It was an Alakazam. Its body was a mix of yellow and brown and it had a long moustache above its lip. It twitched as he spoke and I noticed a large scar running over one eye.

"We seem to be in quite the predicament, don't we miss"

I felt my avatar nod. She was probably in as much awe as I was. His voice was deep and his pronunciation was perfect. There was a posh but warm tone to his voice.

"I suggest we forsake this wretched place, eh?"

I nodded again.

"Well then, if you would please accompany me, I would feel most honoured. It would be a shame for an elegant young lady such as yourself to be imprisoned in a cesspool such as this"

He held out his arm and I took it. He clicked a finger at the bars of the room and they instantly turned to a silvery liquid. He led me through the new opening and along the corridor. Jewel eyed gremlins flooded into the hall as a siren was sounded. With a flick of his fingers, Alakazam had thrown them against the wall with shattering force. The bricks making up the wall started to neatly deconstruct and we paraded through. All the while, Alakazam's eyes were shut. _Amazing_ I thought. _Where will he take me next?_

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><p><strong>Just a kind of bridge between chapters here. I also thought the team could use a bit of livening up for a short while with the presence of the odd Koffing. Let me know what you think!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16: Lava Pools

**Hey guys! Sorry about the last chapter's length, it was a rush. This is a bit late, but longer compared to my standard chapters.**

**Review and tell your friends!**

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><p>The walls did not explode or retract, the bricks simply pulled themselves apart and made a neat stack to the side of the newly formed hole. Ghoulish guards were flung far and wide as our procession of two slowly made its way slowly through the corridors. Other cells became visible, their contents cheering and whooping at our progress. Another wall was disassembled and the creatures behind it parted unwillingly. A few walls later, my guide finally stopped. He led me down the corridor and up to a shadow-ridden block of cells.<p>

"We should be hidden from sight here. Now, the cell I am looking for is right about…"

"Aah, Logic! So good of you to join us." Rumbled a deep voice from within the darkness. The lock on the door made a cracking sound, and seemed to crumble to dust before my avatar's eyes. A single stone lay amidst the pile of metal grains. A tall, green tyrannosaurus strolled nonchalantly through the doorway.

"I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost in this dump." He said, stretching his short arms and yawning loudly.

"Just savouring inestimable time without your constant reproaches, Shunt" Beamed Logic.

Shunt was, from my perspective, a sizeable Tyranitar. The rocky ridges that ran down his back seemed larger than naturally possible: a sign of power and high status. He had a strong, deep jawline and a set of pure black eyes, symbolising the power over rock that he possessed. The muscled on his body rippled as he moved, creating the impression that he was a fighter. The short tail that dragged behind him was bulky for its size, quite like its owner.

Following Shunt was another figure, feminine, with great orange wings and a slender neck. She was built similarily to the rock type that she followed, the only difference being that this creature seemed more adapted to speed and flexibility rather than power. The female was a dragon, with a long fire-tipped tail. She had thin arms, but wide legs and sported two horns atop her head. Her hazel eyes burned like the fire on her tail. She was a Charizard.

"Who's this?" She asked, gesturing towards me.

"Good gracious me! Forgive my hastiness. I do not believe we have had the pleasure. You are?"

I felt my mouth open, but all that came out were screams. Logic's voice trailed off, taking with it the quiet of my slumber.

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><p>My eyes flickered open. Above me stood Bolt, his eyes harsh with worry. They softened though, when I groaned and clasped my bone encased head.<p>

"Thank goodness! I thought you'd never wake up." He smiled warmly. "Toxin, he's awake!"

"I thought I'd lost you…" sobbed the Koffing, drawing nearer. His cries turned to snarls within an instant. "How could you do that to us!"

"Chill guys, I'm fine! Uuurgh!" my head was throbbing and I was drenched in a mix of water and sweat.

"Were you having a nightmare or something? Only you were tossing and turning and moaning." Toxin asked quietly.

"Something like that…What time is it?" I questioned.

It was midday. The Pidgey were singing in the branches of the Oran bushes and apple trees, while the hustle and bustle of the town could be heard from down the path.

"Today is the annual market day, so we'd better get out quick before the best stuff is gone." Cried Bolt, suddenly hurried. "Come on!"

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><p>We shopped around the abundance of stalls for about an hour and conversed with Pokémon from all across the region. They brought with them the fruits and wares native to their area and sold them cheaply and fairly.<p>

As we were walking, Bolt got called over by a Snubbull and Toxin wondered off on his own.

At one particular store run by a Hypno from Solar Cave, I saw a familiar duo.

"Kanari! Kit!" I cried, dashing over to them.

Kanari turned her bright green head and smiled at me. The giant leaf atop her head was pulsing in the sunlight and letting off a yellowish sparkle.

"How are you doing then?" I asked, shyly.

"Not too bad, thank you." It seemed she never stopped smiling. "Just doing missions here and there to help make ends meet, you know."

"Yeah…" I said dumbly.

"Quite a blizzard there was a few days ago. It seemed to clear up overnight though…weird eh?" stated Kit, joining into our conversation. I found Bolt standing next to me the moment she had finished talking. He looked slightly depressed, but was trying to hide it.

"Well, if you're interested in details, we went to see Articuno on top of and she called it off." Boasted Bolt, proudly patting my shoulder. I smiled sheepishly.

"Coooool!" praised Kanari.

"That is cool" gawked Toxin, at Bolt's side.

"Who's your friend, Bolt?" asked Kit.

"Oh, this is Toxin. We're giving him a place to stay for a while."

"Awwh. You guys are so sweet" She giggled.

"So what did Articuno say?" Kanari asked.

"She gave us a job. She had fallen out with Moltres and Zapdos and said they were acting differently."

"So, a family feud. And a legendary one, too!"

"Yes." I said plainly. There didn't seem like any other explanation to me.

"Our first stop, is Mt. Blaze tomorrow." Bolt explained. "We are going to see Moltres."

"Well we are between jobs at the moment…" murmured Kit.

"Team huddle." Bolt said.

"Yes." We concluded instantly.

"After much deliberating girls, we have come to the conclusion that you can come with us. If that's what you want of course…"

"Go on then." Kanari smiled.

"What about me?" Toxin asked, putting on a cutesy face. "I want to go on an adventure with my best buddies in all the world!"

"We met yesterday! How can we be your 'best buddies'?" I asked, jokingly.

"You're just so kind and wonderful!" shouted the Koffing, bursting into tears and causing a great commotion among the townsfolk.

"Look at him…" cooed Kit. "Awwh! Go on guys! What are you going to do with him otherwise? You can't leave him here; you don't know how long you will be away! I'll take care of him if you want."

"You sure about that? He can be quite a handful." I grimaced, remembering the constant complaints of last night.

"I'm pretty sure I can handle it!" she said confidently.

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><p>There was a set road to follow to get to any mountain, forest or cave which provided the quickest route to the destination. All paths were signposted and marked with a particular symbol, for instance, Mt. Steel was a picture of a steel ingot. Mt. Blaze's symbol was a volcano that was spewing out red lava. I could see the base of the mountain now.<p>

"Make him shut up!" Kit whispered to me, interrupting my train of thought. "He keeps asking for food or…or a rest and its driving me insane!"

"We haven't even got to Mt. Blaze yet and you already regret you decision!" I laughed.

"Totally. One hundred per cent!" Her orange fur was getting increasingly ruffled, due to Toxin's constant nudging. She had begun to twitch a little and she was breathing heavily. Kanari, who at first laughed at Kit's burden, now was beginning to look worried.

"Could you not tell him to stop, or something?" she asked, quite urgently.

"Fine…" huffed my Pikachu friend and strolled over to where Kit was shaking.

"You've just got to give him something else to think about." He winked. Then, "Hey buddy. Do you know what would be really horrible? If we got ambushed by dragon types!"

"Dreadful, absolutely horrible!" he cried.

"Then I'm going to put you in control of dragon watch. This is a very important job, so you've got to pay attention. Got it?"

"YES SIR!" the Koffing straightened up.

From then on, all we heard was Toxin muttering and shouting.

"Dragon! Nah just kidding…Dragon! Nah I got you then, I got you then…Dragon! Nah, it's a Pidgey…" drowned out the sounds of nature for the last few kilometres, till suddenly-

"Guys? There's a dragon! I mean it! Dragon! DRAGON!" there was genuine terror in his voice, or he was a talented actor. I decided to humour him.

"Oh really? Quick Toxin! Get it!" I giggled without turning round. There was a rush of air and the sound of huge beating wings. The Koffing's shouts became more distant. We turned in unison and stared at the empty space the Koffing used to occupy. Looking up, we caught a glimpse of an orange dragon with broad wings soaring high up into the clouds and up to the mountain's peak.

"Talk about the boy who cried Arcanine…" Kanari muttered.

"Oh gosh, was that a Charizard?" Bolt groaned, planting his face in the palm of his hand.

"It looked like it to me" Kit had regained her sanity and was sitting down on the floor.

"We have no time to lose!" Bolt suddenly seemed to care for the Koffing. "Come on! He could be in grave danger!"

"Uuurgh…" Kit mumbled, before being dragged to her feet and into the base of the heated mountain.

* * *

><p>"Boy, it's hot in here!" exclaimed Kanari, for what seemed like the hundredth time.<p>

She was right though. It had gotten hotter as the climb progressed. Puddles of lava had begun to appear on the floor. Magby could be seen dancing around them and splashing each other with the molten liquid. Their bodies reached such high temperatures; it was like normal water to them. Each were spitting a yellowish flame, indicating their healthiness.

A group of Slugma squelched along the blistering surface, their bodies almost sinking in to it. They were headed by a Magcargo, seeking the hottest part of the ground to rest and regenerate.

Kanari did not look healthy. The Chikorita was sweating and panting. She was swaying a lot too and slurring her words. Feeling like new in the stifling environment, Kit offered to support her friend for the rest of the way.

"There's more lava now." Observed the Vulpix, "This means that we are close to the summit! Come on!" Dragging a grass type that was almost her size did not seem to faze her at all.

We could not muster the energy to run. It was only a screech from somewhere above us that prompted us to move.

"Put me down NOW, dragon!" Shouted Toxin as we climbed out of a tunnel and on to the peak of Mt. Blaze. He was struggling in the clasp of the Charizard. My mind flashed back to my nightmare. This Charizard was male and more muscular than the one in my nightmare. It looked angry.

"Guys! Hey!" the Koffing screamed, going an even deeper shade of purple. "Put me down now, or my friends will kick your butt!"

"Bwahahah! Those pipsqueaks couldn't beat a Weedle! Hahaha!" the Charizard boomed, shaking Toxin violently from side to side.

"We can't leave him like this!" I shouted, "Attack!"

I hurled my bone towards the great lizard, who flung Toxin out of the way and caught my bone mid-flight. He threw it back to me with force, but not enough for me not to catch it.

"That all you got kids?" he laughed, throatily.

Bolt was next. Being part flying type, Bolt assumed that a powerful thunderbolt attack would bring it down. He sent the surge of electricity through the air, but it was met by a column of roaring flame. Bolt's move fizzled out, but our opponent's stayed strong. Bolt readied himself for the blistering heat that was about to consume him. He shut his eyes and crouched. In the nick of time, Kit leapt in front to take the hit. Her fur caught fire for a moment, before glowing and then disappearing. Her next move was devastating. She jumped into the air and took a deep breath. Her eyes glowed red, before unleashing a giant beam of fire towards the unsuspecting Charizard. It was bigger than any other fire attack I had ever seen; it covered the Charizard completely and, even from behind, I could feel the sheer heat of it through my bone mask. She maintained the attack for ten seconds, before dropping to the ground and shutting her mouth. Landing on all four feet, like nothing had happened, she turned and smiled at Bolt.

"I didn't know you were so powerful!" gawked Bolt, in awe.

"I'm not." She replied, "My ability is flash fire, meaning fire will do no harm to me and will also raise the power of my own moves. That was only an ember attack."

_My flamethrower looks puny compared to that…_ I thought, jealously. _Ember is meant to be almost harmless._

"She's a fighter, my girl." Smiled Kanari, peacefully, before shutting her eyes and resting her head on the floor.

There was a moan from where the blackened Charizard stood. He opened his brown eyes and looked around in shock.

"What's going on?" he demanded, suddenly sounding less menacing. "Where is my lord, Sanction?"

"Hold on. You don't remember what just happened?" Kit asked, puzzled.

"No. Who are you anyway?"

After we had introduced ourselves to the Charizard, Ashton and had explained who we had been sent by, we quizzed him on his memory.

"No, I don't remember anything out of the ordinary. Oh, I saw a shadow once!" He said.

"That's not very helpful at all…" Bolt said despairingly.

"Look around! There's not a shadow in sight though!" Ashton cried excitedly.

He was right. A moat of lava surrounded the room, with various smaller puddles near the centre. The room was so bright, there was not a shadow to be seen.

"Wait, a shadow you say?" I interrogated, suddenly seeing the logic behind his previous comment.

"The shadow… ahh yes, It moved. Now I haven't seen many shadows in my life, but I know they don't move on their own!"

"Brilliant, is there any more to the story?" I asked.

"No, it disappeared…" Ashton looked down at the floor.

"Well, judging by your behaviour, we have a pretty good guess as to what that shadow you saw was. Or rather, who…"

"I don't want to know. It can't be a positive matter." Suddenly, his face froze. "My lord! Sanction!"

He ran to the far corner of the room, where a ladder led upwards. Plucking the sleeping Chikorita off the floor and picking up the unconscious Toxin, we dashed after the Charizard.

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><p>"My lord, please calm down!" We heard Ashton cry, as we emerged from the hole in the ground.<p>

A large bird, similar in size and shape to Empress the Articuno, was rampaging in the centre of a flat area. A long beak shot strings of fire into the warm evening sky, and as it flapped it's semi-burning wings, trails of embers fluttered behind it. A burning crest of feathers lay atop Moltres' head and a tail of the same plumage lay out behind in a long spiral. Moltres was yellow in colouration, with most of its body on fire. Its beady eyes flicked around quickly.

"Burn!" it screamed at the top of its lungs, before blasting more flamethrowers in random directions.

"He will not listen!" Ashton approached us, fear in his eyes.

"We need to stop him then!" Kit cried under the weight of the sleeping grass type.

"Oh no! I can't! It would not be right! Let me take those two off your hands!" we handed Toxin and Kanari over to Ashton, who knelt with them behind a rock.

"Go!" he called.

We leapt into action. Dodging the dangerous fireballs that were being launched by Sanction, Bolt created several balls of electricity and fired them towards the bird. Meanwhile, Kit was charging up a large confuse ray attack. It started out as a halo above her head before multiplying and gaining smaller rings as a tail. It begun spinning in a circular motion, before it was fully orbiting the Vulpix. From where I was desperately trying to deflect devastating flamethrowers with my bone, it looked quite impressive. Due to the Moltres' already uncontrollable state, I was not sure how much it would do.

I decided it was time to use a move of my own. I didn't want to get too close to the rampaging titan, so headbutt was out of the question. My tiny flamethrower was nothing compared to the huge blasts Moltres was creating, so the ruled that out too. I didn't particularly want to get hit either, so rage was not advisable either. My only option was a well-aimed bonemerang, and seeing as Sanction didn't seem to be moving much, it was a perfect choice.

The bone struck Moltres on the beak and caused a delay in the production of fire. Bolt took this chance to swing at the opponent with an iron tail, and Kit unleashed her confuse ray. It snaked towards the baffled bird and snuck its way round his neck. The beak stayed closed this time, and Moltres resorted to close quarters combat. His wings turned a bright white and he flapped in our direction. A fiery wing attack was not on my to-do list. Keeping my distance again, I glanced at Bolt to see what he was doing, but he and Kit were strategizing.

"Axel!" Bolt called. I ran over, cautious of the manic bird.

"Hold out your bone when I say." He told me, keeping an eye on the legendary. I nodded. As I retreated, I saw a wing catch Bolt's tail and he was sent flying back. He would have flown straight off the edge of the mountain, if it had not been for the quick thinking of Ashton, who swooped in to save him.

I returned my gaze to the blazing bird, when I noticed a small spark of electricity dancing around his body. He was having trouble moving and was in pain.

"Looks like a static ability to me." Observed the Charizard, gently putting Bolt down. He smiled and looked down at the ring on his finger.

Returning to the battlefield, Bolt gave the signal. I held my bone in the air and a stream of Bolt's electricity began to float upwards towards it. A will-o-wisp from Kit joined the sparks as they encased my weapon. Instincts kicked in and I ran towards the paralyzed Sanction. He cried out as I struck him: burning electricity coated his body and he slumped down onto the floor.

"Bravo!" Shouted Ashton.

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><p><strong>So Voltskull meets Sweethearts again! Unfortunately, Kanari wasn't much help here, poor girl.<strong>

**Thanks for checking out the chapter!**

**Trakyan-**

**Lerrus' training was to enforce discipline and self-righteousness, but I understand where that could have been misinterpreted.**

**It says "I was not one for the secretive type" meaning Axel does not like secrets. The thought was provoked by the quiet Nosepass, but seeing as Bolt has kept a secret about his past, he came to Axel's mind.**

**In this story, when someone is not acting themselves, it usually means that Prometheus has had influence on them**

**The rings had rubies and sapphires, like on the doors in Axel's nightmare.**

**The definition of beamed is to smile, but that is what I have grown up with believing.**

**I have adapted my writing to test the full stops in speech and I think it looks better. Thanks!**

**I didn't think bone club was a necessary move for Axel to have, because it comes with natural instincts, so it seemed redundant. That is the move that has been removed.**

**Thanks for always being honest, I know I can count on you for feedback!**

**Thanks again everyone**


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